Parallel Me Time: The Rise of Friendship Parenting

The days of parents enduring stinky, noisy soft-play, or playing dolls house with the kids all afternoon without a nugget of joy in it for them are on their way out – as are the days of dragging your kids to things they don’t want to be at. The expectation is shifting towards everyone’s needs being met when sharing experiences. We’re calling this move to both parents and kids having their needs met side-by-side “Parallel Me Time”.

We took to our proprietary panel of carefully selected kids and teens who share the latest trends in kids’ lives, the Beano Brain Trendspotters, to fill you in on the details of Parallel Me Time.

"I went out with my mum and gran for my auntie’s birthday this weekend. There was a party and Escape Room and the Escape Room was so good. It was like an underground bunker theme and you had to break free. We had like 1 minute left and found this little box with 5 padlocks and the last one - of course - was a secret exit passcode!" - Theon

Not only do parents want to be a part of their child’s lives but they want to get in on the fun and action, bringing kids in on mum and dad’s passions and interests. From baby raves to mother-and-daughter spa days, activities for kids are being designed with adult fun in mind.

"I started playing Monopoly Go! I play it with my friends or my mum, dad and brother" – Jake

We are seeing examples where parents take their kids out, both dressing up for musicals and tours like SIX The Musical, Dad-Daughter Duos in Taylor Swift Eras Tour and family escape room drama with grandma. The fun can be online too with board games like Monopoly Go! This all ties back to the golden thread of democratic parenting in raising Gen Alpha where for Millennials time spent as a family is about finding fun regardless of age.

"Me, my mum and my sister are going to to see SIX The Musical which is exciting and we are staying over at a hotel and going to some global buffet place - it even does chicken nuggets!" - Lori

This emerging trend provides brands with a huge opportunity to engage the whole family and cement themselves in core memories. If you’d like to know more about how your brand could benefit please get in touch.