Prizes for toilet training. Cakes commemorating a baby’s initial steps. Breakfasts with a back-to-school theme. “Farewell pacifier” balloons. Celebrations for growing up, or shedding teeth.
Parents nowadays appear to be commemorating every small victory, and many are indeed doing so.
Inchstones, akin to milestones but on a smaller scale, were anticipated to be a prominent parenting trend in 2024 according to Pinterest’s yearly trends projection. The platform highlighted a 90% surge in searches for end-of-year school festivities, a similar increase in searches for monthly milestone concepts, and a 40% uptick in searches for “first tooth party.”
“In 2024, minor achievements will be cherished as parents infuse celebratory elements into their children’s less significant moments,” as stated in the report by Pinterest. “Baby’s first tooth? Bring on the cupcake. Successful toilet training? Sprinkle on some extra joy.”
Parenting magazines have also embraced this trend, labeling inchstones as “the major parenting trend for 2024,” “enchanting,” and a “learning tool.”
Etsy, an online marketplace, offers items like “first tooth” banners, crowns, and cake toppers, while Amazon sells decorations for toilet training parties. Social media is filled with videos of binky balloon releases to mark a child letting go of their pacifier.
Despite the good intentions behind this trend, a parenting expert cautions that excessively celebrating every minor achievement can have negative consequences for both parents and children.
While any positive interaction that parents engage in with their children is beneficial, particularly in a post-pandemic era marked by increased stress and economic uncertainty, there is a risk of going overboard with celebrations, according to Julie Romanowski, a parenting coach and consultant in Vancouver.
“We might fall into a pattern of constantly trying to outdo ourselves, making each celebration bigger and more extravagant, losing sight of the child’s actual emotions,” Romanowski explained.
“We should acknowledge these moments, not necessarily throw a party for each one.”
Historically, various cultures worldwide have celebrated different milestones in a child’s life. For example, in Chinese culture, there is a celebration for a baby’s 100th day, while in some Middle-Eastern countries, it is customary to throw a big party for a baby’s first tooth.
However, the current generation of parents with young children tends to take celebrations to the extreme, as noted by Romanowski.
“Baby boomers… I can almost hear them rolling their eyes at this trend,” she remarked humorously.
Generation Alpha, children born between 2010 and 2025, are often portrayed in popular culture as the most pampered group of youngsters. The recent Sephora kids controversy is a case in point, with complaints online about children wasting samples, displaying rudeness towards staff, and spending substantial amounts on adult products.
“The issue lies with the parents,” remarked a TikTok user in a video that garnered 3.8 million likes.
Forbes has highlighted that most Generation Alpha kids are likely to anticipate instant gratification, partly due to the high probability of being the only child in the family. McCrindle Research has described them as “the most materially privileged generation ever,” and Pew Research Center discovered that today’s parents are more inclined to admit to “overpraising” rather than criticizing excessively.
“When we excessively indulge our children… it diminishes the value,” Romanowski cautioned.
A lack of drive to achieve more could result from rewarding a child too much for small accomplishments. Moreover, there is a risk that the child may start expecting rewards routinely.
Nonetheless, there is a segment of parents who proudly celebrate every minor triumph.
While the trend may have gained popularity in 2024, parents of children with disabilities and special needs have always celebrated these so-called inchstones, such as achieving weight percentiles or reaching for a cracker. On TikTok, most videos under the #inchstones tag depict children with disabilities taking tentative steps with assistance, joyfully learning to use utensils, or independently assembling a toy car track.
The term inchstones is commonly used in the disability community, where conventional developmental milestones like walking, talking, or tying shoelaces may not occur at the same pace, manner, or at all.
Helen Carriere, whose son Thomas, 11, has autism and attention-deficit disorder (ADD), expressed, “I’ve always celebrated the small things because since he was small, I never knew what his capabilities would be.”
Carriere recounted celebrating when Thomas began speaking at four, when he wore a suit to his grandmother’s wedding despite finding formal attire uncomfortable, when he boarded a plane for a family trip, when he had four friends attend his birthday party, and when he joined a hockey team and actively participated throughout the season.
“That was monumental,” Carriere, from Alymer, Quebec, remarked about the hockey achievement. “While other parents might consider this a regular Saturday, for us, it was a huge deal.”
She acknowledged that parents of neurotypical children might find it challenging to grasp the significance of these milestones for children like Thomas. Nevertheless, she doesn’t mind the mainstream adoption of the inchstones trend.
“It’s endearing,” she remarked. “We do what works for us, and others do what works for them. If celebrating a lost tooth works for them, who am I to judge whether it’s right or wrong?”