AI baby toys, fewer iPads and broccoli at 6 months: The big parenting shifts coming in 2026

From AI and screen-time battles to weaning changes, wellness priorities and gentler rules, new data reveals how parenting is set to shift in 2026 — and why families will be doing things differently next year.

Father giving young daughter a piggyback ride in living room

Published: December 29, 2025 at 9:45 AM

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Parenting every child is different, and every parent will have their own style. But as trends come and go, the economy shifts, and the internet decides certain parenting habits are in vogue (or not), there tend to be some overarching patterns in how parents go about raising their children.

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Thanks to the internet and greater awareness of children’s development, modern parents are well-connected, well-informed, and considerate of their children’s wellness and mental health. But with AI, sedentary lifestyles, and decreasing attention spans, they also have some unique parenting challenges to contend with in 2026.

We spoke to the team at The Insights Family, a market research company, about what the data suggests will be popular in the world of parenting next year. They polled 2755 parents of children aged 1 to 16 across the UK between September and November 2025 to find out what trends are looking likely.

From incorporating new tech into parenting, to taking away kids’ access to devices, and from new attitudes to weaning to a greater awareness of health, here are MadeForMums’ parenting predictions for the new year.

The factors that will impact parenting choices next year

The Insights Family team say that parenting in 2026 will be impacted by a few different factors.

2026 parenting trend predictions

Introducing a wider variety of foods at the weaning stage

Recent scientific findings might influence the way parents feed their children in the weaning stage next year.

New research published in the American journal Pediatrics this year found a 27.2% drop in peanut allergies among children aged three and under. The decline followed updated guidelines that encouraged parents to introduce peanuts earlier in their child’s diet, rather than avoiding the allergen altogether.

We can’t be sure that it was definitely the guidance change that reduced the number of allergies, but it is a promising suggestion that we can reduce the rate of life-threatening allergies in the next generation by not being afraid to introduce allergens to young children.

Similarly, a 2022 study published in Current Nutrition Reports found that starting weaning with green, bitter vegetables like broccoli and spinach helps babies develop a taste for non-sweet foods. NHS guidance supports this approach, suggesting it can encourage better vegetable intake during infancy.

As a result, we expect parents to offer a much wider variety of foods during weaning — both to help prevent serious allergies and to encourage a more adventurous palate that supports a healthy, varied diet later in life.

Baby girl sitting outdoor while eating meal

Feeding kids fewer shop-bought baby foods

As well as introducing a wider variety of foods at the weaning stage, we predict parents will also move away from shop-bought baby foods.

In 2025, a report by researchers at the University of Leeds found that many baby food products contain excess sugar and mislead parents into thinking they are much healthier than they actually are.

The report evaluated 632 products and found the following:

With these findings, and a general move away from ultra-processed foods, we think parents will rely less on shop-bought baby food and start feeding their children homemade, whole-food-based snacks and meals.

But no worries if you don’t have time to make these foods yourself — as part of a wider shift towards gut health and away from UPFs, and with ever-stricter governmental regulations on the amounts of sugar in food, we’re sure food manufacturers will start producing healthier baby food alternatives.

More AI

We all knew it was coming. Just as AI has bulldozed its way into everything else, it’s also on this list and will probably play a bigger part in parenting next year, too.

Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT, recently said that he couldn’t imagine parenting without the help of AI. He’s biased, clearly, but as people begin to rely on AI more and more, it will probably seamlessly fit into their parenting habits too — whether that’s using it to check if your baby’s nappy rash is normal, or where to find the best school shoes for wide feet.

AI could be used to compare prices and features of baby products, to suggest weaning-friendly recipes using what you have in your fridge, to help compile baby names, and much more — although the MadeForMums website also has similar content from parenting experts, we must remind you!

The manufacturers of baby products are also leaning into AI, such as in baby monitors, in-cot sleep tracking products, and even some stuffed toys that can converse with kids.

Less screen time for kids

As more research comes out about how screens can impact children’s development, and as Gen Z, disillusioned with their online-first lives, start to become parents, we think parents will be giving their kids much less screen time.

71% of the parents The Insights Family polled said they were worried that excessive screen time could harm children’s attention spans, up by 7% from 2024.

“While families are increasingly engaging with kids through video games, TV, YouTube, and TikTok, they remain mindful of potential downsides of screen time,” The Insights Family team says.

Toddler builds from multi-coloured blocks by window in home interior. Child growth and development. Educational toy and creative activity.

If parents don’t want to reduce their kids’ screen time significantly, they might opt for lower-stimulation activities on screens. This includes more calming videos with quieter sounds and a slower pace, or switching out brash modern television shows with older, perhaps more educational programmes.

There isn’t any research on whether this sort of thing is actually better for children’s development, but we think there will be an anecdotal shift.

…and fewer screens in general

Going analogue — or at least, lower tech — is becoming more popular too, with more people embracing ‘dumbphones’ which provide the necessary features of a smartphone (like maps, calls and texts, and music) without the distracting extras. Sales are increasing by about 4% a year, based on data from 2023 to 2024, according to consultancy CCS Insight.

Since many parents want their children to be able to stay in touch and stay safe, but without getting addicted to their phones at a young age, we predict that these phones will become more popular options for kids’ and teens’ first phones.

Plus, Australia has just banned social media for children under 16, so depending on how successful that is, we might see other governments — or at least the government of mums and dads — implementing something similar.

More evidence for this is the bumper year that Tonies and Yoto players have had. These audio players incorporate the ease and convenience of modern technology but encourage kids to use their imagination and keep them off screens.

Tonies’ revenue grew by 52.3% this year, while Yoto’s grew 86% in 2024, and it looks like similar products are only getting more popular.

But social media is still king

While 52% of parents watch traditional TV with their kids every day, this number has declined by 4% since 2024 in The Insights Family’s data.

Meanwhile, 51% of parents spend time on TikTok every day, and this is up by 10% since 2024, suggesting that short-form video and social media will continue their meteoric rise at the expense of television.

But families aren’t just watching short-form video, they’re making it. The Insights Family found that 45% of parents create social media content at least once a week, using it as entertainment and a way to bond with their children.

“Overall, families are increasingly blending traditional media with interactive and social-media-based activities, shaping the entertainment landscape for the year ahead,” the Insights Family team say.

A big focus on physical health and wellness

Health and wellness have become big business in the last few years, as people become more and more aware of wellness rather than just health (meaning your body being in as good a condition as it can be, rather than just not ill). We think that this will trickle down to children, too, as parents want to give their children the best, healthiest start to life.

80% of the parents polled by The Insights Family said that they encourage healthy eating choices, up 14% from 2024. And 38% of parents said that they think about health and encouraging their children when picking activities for their family to do together.

And it’s not just the basics — biohacking, health tracking, and optimisation have been big trends among adults in the last few years, and we think this could extend to kids, too. Companies are popping up that offer gut health testing for kids, as well as baby sleep tracking apps and fitness tracking smartwatches for children, suggesting that there is a market.

Children’s supplements are more popular, too, with the market increasing by almost 4% in 2025 compared to 2024.

Rear view of a young girl cycling in the forest with her father on a beautiful autumnal sunny day

Prioritising mental wellbeing and self-development

The Insights Family think that mental health will continue to be important to parents next year, with 28% of parents naming it as a top concern. And 81% of parents of one- to three-year-olds said that it is important to them that their child has a healthy body image.

“This suggests that parents aren’t focusing solely on nutrition or physical development – they are increasingly tuned in to the emotional and psychological foundations of their child’s future wellbeing. The emphasis on body positivity and confidence during the toddler years points to a broader shift towards preventative, holistic parenting that nurtures both healthy habits and healthy self-esteem,” the team say.

Parents will also be helping their children’s self-development next year, The Insights Family say. They base this on the fact that 38% of parents meditate or practice mindfulness with their children a few times a week, 13% more than said they did last year.

“A notable emerging trend is the rise of self-improvement practices parents and kids undertake together,” the team say. “Families are increasingly using shared time to explore personal interests, emotional regulation, and intellectual curiosity.”

Ethical, sustainable and smart shopping choices

As economic pressures continue to squeeze families’ budgets, parents’ shopping habits will become increasingly focused on value for money, The Insights Family say.

81% of the parents polled said that good value for money is an influential factor for them when making shopping decisions, while 43% of parents of children aged three to nine said that they would recommend a brand because it is affordable — up 6% from last year.

Other things parents look for in brands is social responsibility. 68% of those surveyed said that it is an influential factor in their purchasing decisions, while 62% are guided by supporting charities or good causes when they buy products.

“These trends highlight a growing shift toward conscientious consumer behaviour, with parents favouring brands and products that align with their ethical values and support the wider community,” The Insights Family team says.

Another factor parents consider is the environment. 17% of parents of three- to nine-year-olds consider a product’s eco-friendliness when choosing toys for their children

“This growing preference points to demand for sustainably made toys, recycled-material craft kits, wooden toys, and low-waste packaging,” the team say.

What’s more, parents are moving towards minimalism and cost-efficiency with their purchases, too: 48% of the parents that the Insights Family polled said that they were interested in renting kids’ products, up by 9% from 2024.

Toys that are beneficial for children’s wellbeing and development

A girl is working on a robot assembly while the boy is looking at her with interest in her technical robotics classroom in the automated school.

The Insights Family team found that more parents want their children to “gain creativity” in 2025 than in 2024, which is reflected in their purchasing. Subscriptions to arts and crafts supplies or activity packs, for example, increased by 21% between 2024 and 2025.

Parents are also looking for the choices they make for their kids to improve their health and well-being. 20% of parents of children aged three to nine said that they looked for products that encourage their children to be active or move their bodies when buying toys and games.

The Insights Family say that products like craft boxes, making sets and DIY kits, and open-ended play supplies are likely to be popular in 2026, as well as movement-focused toys, outdoor play equipment, active games, and sports-based products.

Choosing educational entertainment

When thinking about entertainment for their families, parents are increasingly opting for TV programmes, films, and products that are educational in some way.

The Insights Family found that 74% of the parents they surveyed preferred to buy products that provide educational value — up by 7% from last year — and that 26% more parents are considering subscribing to children’s educational resources than in 2024.

This goes for gaming too, with 64% of parents believing that kids can learn through video games.

Structured but gentle parenting

Gentle, relationship-centred parenting will continue to be popular in 2026 as parents continue to reject the old-fashioned ways of doing things and instead combine emotional stability and respect with healthy structure.

The Insights Family’s data shows that 77% of UK parents think it’s important to be friends with their children, and 78% say that they take their child’s opinion into account when making decisions. But at the same time, UK parents are 13% more likely than the global average to think it is important for their children to have strict rules and boundaries, they found.

This “signals a deliberate effort to combine warmth with clear expectations,” The Insights Family team say, showing that “UK parents appear increasingly committed to collaborative, respectful communication while still providing the structure kids need.”

“FAFO” (standing for ‘f*** around and find out’) parenting trended in 2025, suggesting something similar — that parents will be treating kids with respect and gentleness, but also letting them experiment and find out things for themselves.

What all these trends mean for parents in 2026

From AI-powered baby gadgets to broccoli-led weaning, parenting in 2026 is set to be a mix of modern tech, wellness awareness and thoughtful choices. While the pressures on families are real — from economic concerns to digital overload — parents are increasingly carving out their own confident, values-driven path, choosing what works best for their children, their budgets and their beliefs.

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Ultimately, it’s less about keeping up with every trend and more about feeling informed and empowered. Whether it’s embracing early allergens, swapping iPads for Yoto players, or choosing toys that build creativity, the parenting landscape is evolving — and mums and dads are leading the way.

Authors

Serafina Kenny journalist headshot

Serafina KennyDigital Journalist

Serafina Kenny is a Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes news and features and has expertise in health, nutrition, relationships, and history. She has previously written for Business Insider, Women's Health, Stylist, Men's Health US, The i Paper, Dazed, and more. You can contact her with tips and story ideas (or compliments!) at serafina.kenny@immediate.co.uk.

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