‘Gentle parenting’ is a delusion — and now there’s proof
February 26, 2026
For years now, American parents have been marinating in a single, soothing cultural message: If you are gentler, more collaborative, less authoritative, your children will feel closer to you.
We’ve been warned repeatedly that structure risks rupture, that firm rules damage attachment, and that saying “no” too decisively can fracture the bonds we try so desperately to preserve.
