Colman Noctor: F**k Around and Find Out — What is fafo parenting?

If Fafo parenting helps some parents loosen their grip and trust their children a little more, it may have value. If it becomes an excuse to disengage or harden our approach, it risks missing the very thing children need most

When I looked into the Fafo parenting approach, it seems beneath the provocative language lies an idea that is not new at all. Allowing children to experience the natural consequences of their choices has been around since time immemorial. Picture: iStock

Lighthouse parenting, gentle parenting, snowplough parenting, helicopter parenting, and free-range parenting are just a few examples of parenting trends that have done the rounds in recent years. These trends tend to arrive with a flourish, sometimes with a neat acronym or catchy title, and promise certainty in a world that feels anything but.

Being an effective parent is not about strictly adhering to a model or trend, but about having the flexibility to adjust our parenting approach and the pace of our expectations to each child’s needs. While one approach might work for one child, it will not for another, so the key is to mix and match our approaches to suit our children’s needs and our circumstances.