Retro Parenting: Raising Your Kids Like it's 1996!

February 23, 2026 - 03:35

A growing movement of millennial parents is deliberately turning back the clock, choosing to raise their children with the hallmarks of their own 1990s youth. Dubbed "retro parenting," this philosophy swaps tablets for tree climbing and structured enrichment for unstructured neighborhood play.

These parents are consciously limiting screen time in favor of hands-on activities. They report their children engaging more with board games, building forts, and reading physical books. The approach also emphasizes outdoor independence, reminiscent of a time when kids would leave after breakfast and only return home at dusk. There's a renewed focus on simple pleasures: family movie nights with a rented VHS tape (or a streaming service playing classics), mix-tape playlists of 90s hits, and toys that encourage imagination over digital interaction.

Advocates argue that this slower, less digitally saturated upbringing fosters greater creativity, resilience, and social skills. They believe it allows children to experience boredom, which in turn sparks independent play and problem-solving. While not a rejection of all modern conveniences, retro parenting is a deliberate effort to blend the perceived simplicity and freedom of the past with the realities of the present, giving their kids a taste of the analog childhood they remember fondly.