This is the 24th in a series of 32 posts—each one a section from Euro RSCG Worldwide PR’s “The Big Little Book of Nexts,” which in total features more than 150 sightings for 2012. It’s the biggest, most robust annual trends report ever from @erwwpr CEO Marian Salzman and her trendspotting team. To download the entire report, go to the Brainfood tab at eurorscgpr.com.
No doubt you’ve noted the recent trend toward superhero-style parenting. It’s no longer enough for mommy’s little angel to learn how to talk; he/she has to speak Mandarin in addition to English, Spanish and Italian. And forget Happy Meals, junk food and soda. Today’s kids are eating carrots, kale and organic juice. Celebrity poster moms such as Jessica Seinfeld, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Gwen Stefani and Rachel Zoe (whose son is her newest high-end accessory, right along with her Birkin) are the new generation of super mommies, and they’re nothing like the moms of yesteryear. Today’s moms want to have it all for themselves and their children, amped expectations from an unlikely group—the once-slackerish Gen Xers, now in overdrive when it comes to raising kids. This age of super-mindful, high-anxiety parenting is a byproduct, too, of our hyper-informative age; at every turn it seems we learn of a new additive, product or fabric that causes cancer or obesity. So, naturally, teaching your children to be green is a top trend for the future. Take “Kids Cooking Green” designed by Massachusetts chefs Lori Deliso and Liza Connolly. This program guides fifth- and sixth-graders as they learn about nutrition, investigate local foods from farmers markets and get hands-on experience in creating healthy family meals. Look for tomorrow’s adults to be well versed in all things eco as their green parents bond over making green future citizens. And speaking of bonding: “Attachment parenting”—which says that the more sensitive and emotionally available a parent is, the better a child will be able to adjust later in life—will continue to be all the rage among the breeder set. (No pressure or anything, kids.) It’s yet another thing for parents to be anxious about, that they’re not spending enough time with their children in between all of those language and nutrition (and music and yoga and pottery and kung fu) classes. Attachment is a fact of life for parents of any age, in fact. According to Pew, empty nests are getting pretty full again. More than one in five young adults (age 25 to 34) lived in multigenerational households in 2009. Look for this number to grow through 2013, as young and frustrated jobless children move back home to seek shelter from the storm. Plus, with everyone having babies so much later in life, will the cost of healthcare and proper care for elderly parents affect teenagers and those just starting their own families? Attach accordingly: You might need your kids sooner than you think. But make sure you do it with a clear picture of what a well-rounded life should be. We’re seeing parents going 24/7/365 in our work-life-blur world doing the constant parenting thing. Our always-on society means moms and dads and their mini-me’s never completely disconnect. Not only is everyone always on their smartphones, tablets and computers, but parents also need to police kids’ online habits and friends constantly. The pressure will become too much. Parental pressures have always bred competition among moms and dads. The latest evidence? Even carpools are getting cutthroat, as “competitive carpooling” leads parents to obsess over getting their kids to ride with those with the highest social status.