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Mum and Dad

12 big ways parenthood has changed in the last decade

by

Deidra Romero

posted in Parenting

Go back with me to 2007. Bush was president; Juno was a top movie; Trump was still firing people on reality TV.

And parenthood looked a whole lot different.

Here are 12 undeniable ways the culture of parenthood has shifted just in the last decade.

Video baby monitors
While I couldn’t locate the date the first video monitor was introduced, I think it’s safe to say they’ve won out over audio monitors. Some people blame video monitors for giving them less sleep but most parents enjoy the extra peace of mind they bring.

Epic pregnancy announcements
Gone are the days when moms and dads called people on the phone to tell their good news. Announcing your pregnancy on social media has turned into a HUGE deal. The more creative, the better!

couple-doing-pregnancy-announcement

Gender reveal parties
Okay, this is a big one. The first gender reveal video was uploaded on YouTube in 2008 and it quickly caught on. Now it’s almost become a tradition alongside the baby shower.

Netflix streaming
Do you remember your kid crying his head off because Sesame Street was over? Yeah, me neither!

girl using tablet

Online grocery shopping
Can you imagine what our great-grandparents would think of online grocery shopping? I just sit at my laptop and put everything in my cart, pay for it, set up a time, and pick it up all IN THE SAME DAY.

Car seat guidelines
In 2012 the AAP revised car seat guidelines and urged parents to leave babies rear-facing until 2 years of age. This was amended from a 2002 guideline that gave the okay to turn babies around at 12 months old.

Baby health monitors
The Owlet Smart Sock is causing a BIG stir among new parents. It uses a small foot monitor to read your baby’s vital signs and will alert you if their oxygen level or heart rate drops. This monitor is just one in an expanding market. The company claims the sock has already saved many lives.

owlet monitor

Instagram perfect moms
Mommy bloggers have ruled the online world for a while, but there’s something different about Instagram moms. I’m talking about the perfect ones with the flawless makeup, cute outfits, and perfectly edited photos. The simultaneously show us how cool motherhood can be and how uncool we are.

Online mom shaming
This is another one with a genesis that’s hard to pinpoint, but mom shaming went from being rare to super common. And it’s a serious problem that has GOT TO STOP.

Huge first birthday parties
I think we can all blame Pinterest for this. The first birthday party has gotten out of control. Some of them are like small weddings with a candy bar, tiered cakes, and crazy centerpieces.

12 ways parenthood has changed in the last decade

Facebook mom groups
I don’t know how I would have gotten through motherhood’s early years without the help of my online tribe. They have answered my questions, listened to my rants, and have given me great product recommendations. Plus they provide endless entertainment with their mother-in-law stories. I wonder what previous generations did before they could crowdsource their parenting woes to 9,000 other moms.

Parent humor
Okay, so this is obviously not new, but parent humor has blossomed with the help of memes and viral videos on social media. And this book made us all LOL back in 2011.

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Images from iStock & Owlet

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