Every parent can agree that having kids is tough, but what if you were a Super Hero? Would your parenting style be any different? It’s no doubt that with special abilities, such as superhuman strength and senses, some aspects of child-rearing would be easier.
However, many of the Super Heroes we know and love have encountered life-changing events on their journeys to save the world. These events have shaped their personalities and perceptions on life, thus probably affecting the way they would parent their children.
Many of us have heard about the four parenting styles from the 1970’s: Authoritarian, Permissive, Uninvolved, and Authoritative. Although these categories are still sometimes used today, new research has surfaced to include a more modern approach.
So, where would our favorite Marvel Super Heroes fit in with modern parenting styles? We have a few theories based on their individual character traits, abilities and backgrounds.
Captain America: Slow Parenting
The slow parenting approach de-emphasizes electronics and overscheduling and favors quality time with family and being outside. We think that since Cap is the oldest Avenger, he’s still got that old-school mindset. He would be the dad who takes the kids out back to play fetch, or gathers the family around the table with a board game. He’d probably crack corny dad jokes every day and teach his children to be polite and always do the right thing. We can bet he’d also be sure his kids watch their language.
Black Widow: Dolphin Parenting
The dolphin parent’s approach is to gently guide their children toward long-term health, happiness, and success. The dolphin parent has a playful stance, while being firm but flexible. Black Widow cannot have biological children, however, should she choose to adopt a child, this would be her style of parenting. She has been through a lot of trauma in her combat training, so it’s possible she’d want to give her children a stress-free life while still guiding them to make the right decisions.
Iron Man: Helicopter/Free Range (“Stark” Parenting)
How would Tony Stark raise his kids? Due to his tech-filled life, it’s possible that he would fall under the category of helicopter parenting. However, it’s hard to imagine him being over-involved in his children’s lives. When you look at his almost paternal relationship with Peter in Spider-Man: Homecoming, you can see that he was mostly not present, but always watching in some way. So, we’ve created our own parenting style hybrid for him. A mix of free range and helicopter that we like to call “Stark” parenting.
Gamora: Lighthouse Parenting
As the daughter of Thanos, Gamora’s childhood was hard. Her background shaped her to be very tough, emotionally and physically. Lighthouse parents focus on morality and character, not performance. They also believe that kids need to learn from failure in order to grow. It’s possible that Gamora would be a lighthouse parent due to the fact that her childhood was all about performance. She would want the opposite for her future kids, and would raise them to be stable, balanced individuals.
Hulk: Elephant Parenting
If the Hulk were to have a child, he would probably be an elephant parent. Just picture an image of the Hulk carrying a tiny infant. Elephant parenting is an uber-nurturing method, focusing on protecting and supporting the child. Even though the Hulk thrives on rage, we do see a softer side to him start to emerge. One thing is for sure, if he ever did have kids, he most likely would never be Bruce Banner again. Think of the sleep deprivation, stress, and anxiety parents face on a daily basis. He’d most likely be in a constant state of Hulk.
Black Panther: Tiger Parenting
Despite the obvious fact that both panthers and tigers are jungle cats, T’Challa’s stoic demeanor and royal background would easily make him a tiger parent. Hyper-focused on performance, grades and achievement, tigers expect excellence from their kids. Being that Wakanda is very advanced in science and technology, it seems any child raised there would be expected to have STEM/STEAM skills.
