Pinterest’s yearly trend predictions are shockingly accurate! As always, the popular inspiration platform zeroed in on what is turning out to be 2024’s hippest parenting trend. Spoiler alert: Pinterest predicts it’s going to be all about celebrating tiny triumphs aka ‘inchstones’!
We are familiar with milestones. Inchstones, however, is borrowed from the same concept, but it is about celebrating all the little victories between birthdays and graduations. So, parents and parents-to-be will go all out celebrating their child’s tiny triumphs enthusiastically with sprinkles and cupcakes! Whether it is their child’s first steps, first haircut, first word, potty training success, or first milk tooth falling, inchstone celebrations have a big part to play in parenting.
The parenting trend is all the rage, but would the practice of celebrating little joys detach these kids from the real world? Clinical Psychologist, Mehezabin Dordi explains that celebrating inchstones, or tiny triumphs, can be a wonderful way to acknowledge and encourage your child’s progress. However, it’s important to balance this practice with lessons on resilience and the reality of life’s ups and downs. By celebrating small achievements, children learn to appreciate incremental progress and develop a growth mindset - as long as parents also teach them the value of effort, persistence, and dealing with setbacks. Celebrating inchstones won’t pull children away from the issues out there in the real world, but rather prepare them to face it with a positive outlook.
Over-Celebration Can Be A Spoiler
Parents should approach this trend with a balanced perspective. While it is beneficial to celebrate and acknowledge small achievements, it’s crucial not to overdo it. The over-celebration of every minor achievement might set unrealistic expectations for constant praise and could potentially reduce the child’s intrinsic motivation. Ms Dordi advices us to use inchstones as an opportunity to encourage and motivate children, without making the reward the sole focus. Celebrate these moments genuinely, using them to teach valuable life skills like gratitude, effort, and resilience.
Let us understand the pros and cons of this parenting trend inch by inch!
PROS
Encourages a growth mind-set: Celebrating small achievements helps children understand that progress is made in small steps, fostering a growth mind-set.
Boosts self-esteem: Regular recognition of effort and progress can build a child’s confidence and self-esteem.
Strengthens the parent-child bond: Shared celebrations create positive memories and strengthen emotional bonds between parents and children.
Motivates continuous effort: Recognising small wins can motivate children to keep trying and continuously put in effort.
CONS
Risk of over-praising: Over-celebration might lead children to expect praise for every little action, which can diminish their intrinsic motivation.
Unrealistic expectations: Children might develop unrealistic expectations about receiving constant external validation.
Pressure on parents: The pressure to constantly celebrate small achievements can be overwhelming for parents and may lead to burnout.
Potential for comparison: This trend might inadvertently lead to comparisons among children, which can be detrimental to their self-esteem and relationships with peers.
The Bigger Picture
Balancing celebration with teaching resilience
Life is full of both achievements and challenges, and children need to learn to navigate both. Parents can use celebrations as teaching moments to discuss the efforts that led to the success, and how to handle things when they don’t go as planned.
Encouraging intrinsic motivation
While celebrating small wins, parents should also emphasise the joy of learning and the satisfaction that comes from achieving a goal through hard work. This helps children develop intrinsic motivation, where they find fulfilment in the process rather than just the outcome.
Personalising celebrations
Each child is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Parents should tailor their approach to celebrating inchstones based on the child’s personality, needs, and developmental stage.
Mindful celebrations
Celebrations don’t always need to be grand or materialistic. Simple, heartfelt acknowledgments, like a special family dinner, a note of appreciation, or a fun activity together, can be just as meaningful.
By thoughtfully incorporating inchstone celebrations into their parenting approach, parents can foster a supportive and positive environment that prepares their children for both the joys and challenges of life.
Image source: NBC news, India Today, Health news, Todays parent