THEthe daily newspaper Guardian he renamed them “baby happy hour”: These are monthly pop-up events that draw in Vancouver, British Columbia more and more parents are looking for adults to socialize with and family friendly places where children are welcome. We meet at 5pm, order a beer, eat a taco together and the children can run around freely under the watchful eye (perhaps a little more relaxed from the alcohol) of mum and dad.
From the Italian perspective it almost seems like a non-fashion, considering that in Milan they are seen everywhere new millennial parents sipping Spritz in clubs while their children playthey sleep in strollers or at most they are made to “relax” with their cell phones (in Nordic countries newborns are even left outside restaurants in prams, to get them used to the cold).
Baby happy hour a global trend
The baby happy hour trend, as underlined Guardian in a new one investigationuntil now it was actually more suited to European cities where fenced playgrounds often have bars or cafes and restaurants play areas, while in North America these spaces are less common. Organizer Stacey McLachlan, publisher of Vancouver’s local newspaper, assures that the demand is there: “You could do an event every night of the week,” she said. “We want to show that you can network while your children are having fun.”
The basic idea is to reconceive parenthood as a more socially connected, communal and joyful time. The newspaper cites the results of a survey of Action for Children among 2,000 new American parents: 68% said they felt increasingly isolated from their social network, for care reasons and for less financial availability. While according to one study by the British Red Cross 43% of mothers under 30 are often alone, and over 80% say they see their friends less after having a child.
Fathers are not in a better situation either: “If biological mothers’ friendships tend to improve after the children’s fifth year of life, fathers run a greater risk of never recovering socially” writes the Guardian. It doesn’t seem so strange, then, that in America is also creating co-living communities in which groups of families choose to live together or at a minimum distance to be reached on foot.
The investigation cites the example of Radish, founded in California by scientist Kristen Berman together with her partner and others 17 people “to have a connected parenting experience”. The couple also launched a platform, called Live Near Friends, to help those who want to move closer to their friends. On the other hand, according to an 8-year study by Harvard University, People who have “secure, emotionally connected” friendships live longer and report greater life satisfaction.
Even in Italy, although it is easier to have an aperitif together, the loneliness factor is felt by at least a third of parents: the study revealed it The Relatives Index commissioned by Nestle. Among the reasons: the sense of inadequacy given by social shaming, performance anxiety, lack of network and help.
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