#UnstructuredPlay

As Thailand’s rainy season brings children home for extended school holidays, a parenting trend from across the globe is stirring conversation about how best to raise resilient, independent kids in today’s hyperconnected world. Dubbed the “feral child summer,” this approach—rooted in nostalgia for the more freewheeling days of the 1990s—is enjoying a resurgence among New York parents but remains divisive in an era of digital anxiety and shifting family dynamics (nypost.com).

A new wave of research and firsthand accounts is reshaping our understanding of what “fun” means for parents in the twenty-first century, revealing that the arrival of children often profoundly changes not just daily routines, but a parent’s entire experience of leisure, pleasure, and joy. This evolving definition of fun holds particular significance for Thai families, who are navigating their own blend of traditional expectations and modern pressures amid rapid economic and social change.