"Gentle Parenting" or just no boundaries? Anonymous PTC post sparks debate

An anonymous post in the Facebook group Singapore Primary School Parents sparked discussion about how Singaporean parents respond to their children's behaviour in school. The user shared that during a recent parent-teacher conference, some parents appeared to use "gentle parenting" as a reason to excuse their child's poor behaviour.

In the post, the user said that when teachers point out poor behaviour, such as being disrespectful in school or having poor social skills with classmates, it may suggest that what some parents call "gentle parenting" is actually permissive parenting.

The user also said that proper gentle parenting often leads to children who are respectful, well-mannered, and aware of boundaries.

However, if a child often refuses to follow rules and behaves in an entitled way, it may show that there is a lack of accountability and clear boundaries at home.

The user ended by saying that Facebook should not be used as an excuse for a child's poor behaviour in school. They added that parents need to teach their children clear boundaries, because without them, children may grow up thinking the world revolves around them.

In the comments, several netizens agreed with the user's view, while others felt that many parents do not fully understand how to practise gentle parenting.

However, some netizens felt that teachers should also consider why the children are behaving that way instead of immediately assuming it is due to poor parenting.

A 2025 CNA article shared a similar view. In the article, a mother spoke about her experience with gentle parenting and explained that it does not mean letting children do whatever they want.

Instead, it requires clear boundaries and expectations, but these are communicated through empathy, respect and open communication rather than fear or control.