Croatian parents embrace health‑focused, gentle parenting

A survey of 1,000 Croatian parents with children aged 0‑10 shows a strong shift toward health and emotional wellbeing in childrearing. Nearly half (45%) describe their approach as "gentle parenting," avoiding punishments and fostering a calm, shame‑free environment, while 58% prioritize developing emotional intelligence. Traditional practices such as latch‑key parenting receive support from only 8% of respondents, and few parents (15%) would let children ride bicycles to school unsupervised.

The study attributes the change largely to technology, with 80% of parents citing its influence and 53% pointing to social media as a primary driver. More than half (54%) say increased research on health and wellbeing informs their decisions. Vitabiotics Wellbaby’s spokesperson emphasized that, despite evolving methods, the importance of good health and nutrition for children remains unchanged.

In a related piece, psychologist Dr. Samantha Rodman Whiten outlines ten everyday actions—such as regular affectionate messages, personalized small gifts, sharing music choices, and public praise on social media—that help teenagers feel loved and strengthen parent‑child bonds.