Embracing the "No-Buy" Summer, the Death of Kids' Menus and the Return of Sleepovers

“Underparenting” Is the Latest Buzzword

Unsurprisingly, a new term has entered the chat: underparenting. The concept is essentially the backlash to years of intensive, hyper-involved parenting culture. Think less hovering, fewer interventions and more opportunities for kids to solve problems, manage boredom and navigate small risks on their own.

Supporters say it encourages resilience, independence and confidence, with the side benefit of giving a reprieve to a generation of parents that feels exhausted by the pressure to optimize every second of childhood. Critics, meanwhile, argue that this could just be a repackaging of disengagement as a parenting philosophy.

Either way, expect this conversation to ramp up over the summer, when kids are home more, routines loosen up and parents start questioning whether every moment really needs adult supervision.

👉 Want to raise resilient kids without hovering 24/7? Here’s why letting children struggle a little can actually be a good thing.

The New Diary = ChatGPT

Back in the day, we huddled under the covers with a flashlight and spilled our guts to a journal—the act of writing a well-known catharsis and method for processing feelings and problems. But that diary didn’t talk back, and didn’t give advice or validation. These days, though, the diary has been swapped for a smartphone and there’s a “voice” on the other end of the words.

Parents are increasingly realizing that kids and teens aren’t just using AI tools to summarize novels or help with math homework—they’re also using chatbots for advice and emotional support. Some young people are treating ChatGPT and its contemporaries like digital confidantes, asking questions about friendships, anxiety, relationships and school stress.

Experts say the rise of AI companionship raises important questions about privacy, emotional development and how kids learn to navigate human relationships. But the takeaway isn’t necessarily panic. Many researchers suggest parents should use the opportunity to open a dialogue about AI, and how to use it as a tool while also recognizing its limitations.

👉 Kids are using AI for a lot more than homework these days. Here’s how to start smart conversations about chatbots, emotional support and digital boundaries.

Is The Kids’ Menu Dying?

Chicken fingers, pasta with butter and Parmesan, mini pizzas, macaroni and cheese. Pretty much every kids’ menu has featured some configuration of these things since the dawn of time. It’s predictable and dependable, sure, but does it have to be this way?

More restaurants are saying no and rethinking the traditional kids’ menu by swapping dinosaur nuggets and fries for smaller portions of regular dishes (like in France!) or more flexible family-style options. For some parents, this is a welcome shift away from the assumption that all children only eat beige food. For others, it feels deeply unrealistic for families dealing with picky eating, sensory sensitivities or younger kids who genuinely just want buttered noodles. Rising food costs are also playing a role, with some restaurants simplifying menus and reducing separate offerings wherever possible.

Whatever side you land on, the conversation taps into a much bigger parenting question: How much should kids adapt to the adult world—and how much should the adult world adapt to them?

👉 As restaurants rethink how they accommodate families, the conversation over kids in dining spaces isn’t going anywhere. Click here for the debate.

Families Are Embracing the “No-Buy Summer”

We don’t have to tell you how expensive things are right now. So it makes sense that, after several years of inflation, pricey outings and the growing sense that every family activity somehow costs $150, many households are embracing the idea of a “no-buy” or low-spend summer. The goal isn’t to eliminate fun—it’s to reduce the pressure to constantly consume (literally and figuratively) in order to make memories.

So how do you do it without dealing with a constant refrain of “I’m booooored”? Families are swapping expensive weekends for beach days, library visits, neighbourhood walks, backyard movie nights and free community events. This also feeds into the growing realization that many kids are perfectly happy with easy, low-production experiences—particularly when parents themselves are less stressed and stretched thin.

👉 Need a jumpstart on your “no buy” summer bucket list? We’ve got the goods. 

The Return of the Humble Sleepover

For a while there, it seemed like sleepovers might become a relic of another parenting era (a pre-pandemic parenting era, if we really think about it). Concerns around safety and supervision caused many families to phase them out.

But parents say sleepovers are making a comeback—particularly for older elementary school kids and tweens. And as tired as you probably are just thinking about it, child development experts say that sleepovers can help kids build independence, flexibility and social confidence by navigating unfamiliar routines and—when you aren’t hosting the slumber party—environments away from home.

At the same time, many modern parents are approaching them differently than previous generations did, with more communication between families, clearer boundaries and more selective guest lists. So no, your child probably isn’t disappearing for an unsupervised all-night neighbourhood bike ride à la 1997—but they will very likely be returned to you cranky and sugared out after getting very little sleep on someone’s basement floor after too much pizza. Some things never change.

We’re All Officially Over Spirit Days

By the time June rolls around, many parents are out of gas—which may explain why frustration around school spirit days seems to be hitting a fever pitch online. Theme days, dress-up weeks and last-minute requests for highly specific outfits have become a recurring source of stress for families already juggling work, childcare and end-of-school chaos.

Parents aren’t necessarily anti-fun. Most acknowledge that kids genuinely enjoy these events and that schools are trying to build community. The issue is more about volume and execution. When every week involves another themed accessory, colour-coded clothing request or elaborate costume expectation, the fun can start to feel like a full-time job.

👉 ParentsCanada to the rescue! Our list of spirit day essentials makes last-minute theme days super easy (and you can get most of the items at your local dollar store!).

Tiny Luxuries Are Carrying Parents Through 2026

Forget dramatic wellness resets or elaborate self-care routines. All we really need is a solo trip to the grocery store these days.

More and more, parents are finding comfort in what social media has dubbed “tiny luxuries:” small, attainable moments that make everyday life feel a little softer. Think an iced coffee before school pickup, fancy hand soap, a new library book, sitting outside for 10 uninterrupted minutes or going for a drive to listen to a spicy audiobook or grisly true crime podcast.

In many ways, the trend reflects the reality (and expense) of modern parenting. Big escapes are pricey, free time is limited and burnout remains very real. Tiny luxuries, meanwhile, feel manageable—little moments of pleasure or calm that don’t require weeks of planning, childcare arrangements or a significant line of credit. Honestly? We’ll take it.

👉 Believe it or not, your ability to seek out happy moments has an impact on your kids. Learn how “the joy effect” (no doubt fed by tiny luxuries!) factors in.