How would you describe your parenting style? Some parents will answer that question by stating that their parenting style is traditional, or conservative, or “old-school”. Others might explain their parenting style as “eclectic”. They take some ideas from how their parents raised them, and add in some new concepts that have become popular in the years since they were children.
No matter what your parenting style happens to be, it is unlikely that it matches up with the parents on Bravo’s new TV show “Extreme Guide to Parenting”. Season one featured 10 different families whose parenting styles have been described as “unique”, “unconventional”, and/or “extreme”.
The Bravo website has some “sneak peek” videos that you can check out right now (if you are interested). The series premiere will go “live” on August 7, 2014, and 9:30/8:30c. The website for the show has a section called “Cast Blogs” that should be a good read. Nothing has been posted there yet, but there will probably be some content after the episodes start airing.
What’s so extreme about the parents that were selected to be on the show? Bravo puts it this way:
From “conscious-attachment” and “helicopter” to “hypnosis” and “push-parenting”, these moms and dads believe their parenting techniques are the best and everyone else is doing it wrong. Each hour-long episode showcases different households with alternative styles of raising their children.
Here is a quick glimpse into what the parenting styles of each family includes:
The Adlers are described as “eco-kosher” and “all-natural”. They choose to feed their child only natural foods that come from the earth. The mother in this family practices aromatherapy. The Masterson-Horn family is raising their adopted daughter in a way that is described as having the parents “never, ever leave her side”. The Whitacre Family live a nomadic lifestyle which includes living in their car, moving from place to place, and sleeping in a tent.
The Eisenberg family practices “push-parenting”. It is a parenting style in which parents push their children to be the best. One way this is practiced is by enrolling children in multiple activities. The Valencia family are described as using physical punishment on their children (in the form of physical activities like planks, pushups, and wall sits). The Brooks family wants their children to be “the whole package” which includes brains, beauty, style, grace, leadership, and talent.
The Axness family is practicing “conscious attachment” which includes co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and baby-wearing. The Young-Mogul family practices “body positivity”, which is a way of accepting one’s body and living without shame about one’s physical appearance. The Machenberg-Ney family practices “hypno-parenting”. They use hypnosis on their children to get them to behave, study, or complete chores.
I don’t think that every aspect of the parenting styles in the list are “extreme”. Some of them, however, are definitely a unique way of doing things. Will you be watching the “Extreme Guide to Parenting”?
Related Articles:
* Extreme Parenting: How Far Will You Go?
* Extreme Parenting or Extreme Stupidity?
* Techniques for the Middle of the Night