So, you may or may not have heard about elephant parenting. We are long accustomed to helicopter mums or tiger mums and now there are elephants too. How very 2018 we are! Elephant parents are usually open-minded and considerate and we all know how great elephants are, but you may not be aware of how good they are at parenting. Elephant parenting is actually a pretty cool concept incorporating elephant’s philosophy into our own lives.

Elephant parents are usually a good source of information and are the ones who people turn to during a crisis. They are usually the leaders of WhatsApp parenting groups and are the first port of call when another parent is worried about their child. Even if they don’t know for sure, their advice and intelligence allow them to get their point across and send the person seeking information to the right place to get the answers they need. 

Like elephants, elephant parents are kind, caring and considerate. They are the ones who will look after you in a crisis and offer help to those who need it. They are the people everyone will have only good things to say about them and they will not be drawn into silly arguments either. They tend to be on call for people but keep themselves out of other peoples’ business too.  

Elephant parents like to play a role in community life and be there to help whether by baking, mentoring or coaching. They will turn up at events to help and will always endeavour to be the best they can be. 

They don’t become overly stressed by things and take an easy-going approach to parenting. They believe kids should be allowed to run free but have rules and structure too. They are fiercely protective of their kids but realistic too of the importance of their independence and development. 

They hate it when people nag at each other and believe instead, that everyone should help one another. They don’t care if others do things differently and consider everyone doing their best. They will help people but stop short of letting themselves be taken advantage of. They will know when others are using them and reduce their involvement with them therein. 

They know how hard it is to raise children and therefore, they accept help from everyone. They love their kids but realise that children need more than a nuclear family unit. They need extended family members and friends too.  

If you annoy an elephant parent they may not forgive you or forget it. They have little time for nonsense and refuse to suffer fools. If others do them injustice, then they will turn away from them and not offer guidance. They will tell them why too. 

How much of an elephant parent are you?