A Modern Philosophy of Adult-Child Interaction

Abstract. Developing soft skills in the 21st century makes people more resilient, successful, and happy, helping them build strong relationships and achieve goals in a rapidly changing world. In this context, gentle parenting is a relevant approach to parenting today. It provides the methodological foundation for developing soft skills. A child raised in a gentle parenting environment possesses personality traits such as sociability (social), fairness (moral), responsibility (volitional), stress resistance (emotional), and creativity (cognitive). These personality traits make children, adolescents, and young adults more psychologically resilient in adulthood. Purpose of the article: To reveal the essential meaning of the philosophy of “gentle parenting” and describe its principles, distinctive features, and practical tools. Methodology: The theoretical and methodological foundations of the philosophy of gentle parenting seek to radically revise traditional hierarchical models of adult-child relationships (the foundations of the methodology are respect, empathy, and partnership). Gentle parenting aims to build a strong, trusting bond with a child, which will serve as the foundation for their development in activities. To study the process of gentle parenting and the development of positive life and personal qualities in a dynamically changing digital world, we applied the methodology of the scientific school of L. I. Novikova and N. L. Selivanova, “A Systems Approach to the Education and Socialization of Children and Youth,” a theory formulated by A. S. Makarenko. Conclusion. In the context of our study, “gentle parenting” is understood as conscious, creative, open, non-directive, and attentive to the states and feelings of both children and adults. Constructive interactions and activities aimed at developing personality, emotional intelligence, communication, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, leadership, and flexibility are all aimed at helping children successfully solve problems, manage emotions, and interact effectively in life and career, preparing them for real challenges, not just academic ones. The author’s novel contribution consists of defining the essence of the phenomenon of “gentle parenting.” The principles of gentle parenting are presented, disclosed, and substantiated: respect; empathy; communication; autonomy; discipline; safety; and togetherness. Practical tools for implementing gentle parenting are described: personal moral example, careful predictability, acknowledgment of mistakes, digital well-being, playful emotional regulation, strengthening attachment, creating a comfortable atmosphere, encouraging, understanding, and accepting any child’s emotions, discussion and explanation, freedom of expression and creativity, stimulating the development of cognitive activity, playful social modeling of life roles, communication practices, the formation of stable positive habits and attitudes, celebrating success, and spending time together.