Worst Parenting trends of 2012

[FrancesMumsnet]

Hello

Justine has been asked what she thinks is the worst parenting idea/fad/trend of 2012. We're not really looking for the worst parenting products- you can stick that in Mumsnet reviews, but rather trends- for example we're not too keen on this belly painting thing although you may be!

Anyway we're keen to hear your thoughts what do you think is the daftest parenting fad this year?

Thank you!

FrancesMumsnet

[caramal]

Mortified by the baby swinging.
Not keen on the whole "Team" blue/pink/yellow thing or the cake smash..wasting cake!

[RudolphUcker]

Team Yellow sounds like a euphemism for incontinence.

[GossipWitch]

baby shower's, it's an american idea for a start and most people are adopting it after their first baby, what's wrong with coming round after to see the new baby, with or without gifts? annoying imo

[ditavonteesed]

wtf is team yellow.

[HaggisMcNeeps]

Personalised baby crapola. Yes we know your baby's name, do you really have to put it on every bit of tat for the baby.

[swallowedAfly]

baby swinging is all the rage in the little by the sea spot in sinai i used to live in - the russians do it in the sea every morning - horrific sight!

for me i still can't get over the phrase 'baby wearing' - not sure if that's attributable to 2012 though. sure use slings, etc but please don't call it 'baby wearing'.

[bruffin]

Taking babies to theatre or cinema

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

love the way some of the babies in the cake smash photos obviously weren't allowed to really get stuck in and smash them, in case they fucked up their tutus!
Reminded me of the French and Saunders "playdate" sketch.

[Pyrrah]

I loathe pictures of babies covered in food - makes me feel queasy - but the cake smash seems almost immoral considering how many people in the world don't have enough to eat.

Baby showers seem to be sneaking in over here. American friends were quite horrified that DH and I funded all the baby stuff ourselves - they rely on their friends and the shower to provide pretty much everything (or everything they have registered for on the enclosed gift list) Yuck!

The only one that doesn't bother me at all is the Gender Reveal cake - I think that is cute, although I'm not sure about the whole big party to go with it.

[MotherfuckingMorrisMan]

Am I the only English person to think baby showers are a lovely idea, and wish they had been popular when I was pregnant in the mid 90s? Just a lovely get together with all your mates when you are in the 'blooming' state of pregnancy to talk about the baby and everything with afternoon tea. It's a nice thing isn't it?

Nowt wrong with americanisation of stuff when it is sweet like this, tbh.

The cake smash thing is bloody beyond the pale though.

[Solopower1]

Not really recent but it's a pity children don't play out more and aren't more independent.

And the pressure on parents, both self-inflicted and imposed, to conform to other people's expectations is unbelievable.

Don't like 'proms' at primary school. What's wrong with an end of primary school party?

On the whole though, I think things are much easier now than they used to be, especially childcare.

Loved the belly painting!

[BertieBotts]

I like belly painting

50 shades = yuck. Especially the term "mummy porn", although, pondering if it's better than the decade of misery porn we've just had

Everything else mentioned has been around for ages Pretty sure people on flickr etc were doing belly painting when I was pregnant in 2008.

[mignonette]

Blooming Marvellous were selling slogan T shirts and other clothes for parent and child back in 1988. And they were gorge inducing then with slogans such as "Made with 100% Love".

If they'd have had one saying "Made after three double whisky's and a pint of snakebite and a forgotten Pill" I might have been tempted.....

My favourite thing to sneer at? School gate fashion articles / magazine / blogs....yuck, yuck and yuck.

[nancerama]

Those toddler "graduation" pictures. I hate them, but then I'm grumpy like that.

[cashmere]

I've come across 'dancing for birth' this time round. Never saw any reference to it in 2009 so assume it's new.
www.dancingforbirth.com/

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Another vote for the labeling!!!

It's weaning
It's parenting

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Oh and can I please add all singing all dancing prams!

We all know in a few weeks the babies gonna be in a bog standard stroller after the tanks of a pram won't fit on a bus or are a bugger to push up hill to the nurseries :o

[cashmere]

Maybe toddler cooking classes too- they seem quite recent (after swimming, tennis, football, gym, art, drama, dance, music). Surely it's easier just to cook with your toddler 1:1.
I've seen a local one that does things like spinach and feta parcels- yum...... but you take home to cook in your own oven so why pay over the odds to sit in a group and put some feta and spinach in filo pastry when you can't even eat it!

[Pyrrah]

Primary School Graduation Proms are definitely the worst new trend ever. I'm hoping that by the time DD gets to that point that common-sense has kicked in and I won't be the only parent refusing to pay up for limos and professional manicures!

[butterflyexperience]

Mummy Porn

[sashh]

especially those ones where you put your thumbs and forefingers together around the navel, to make a heart.

If you are not careful you make the sign language sign for cunt.

[GoldPlatedNineDoors]

Baby swim classes involving dunking newborns and letting them float around. Only reason for their place here is the price. £12 a pop