What is nacho parenting?

Nacho parenting is a parenting approach used in blended families, where a stepparent intentionally takes a “hands off” approach from decision making and disciplining a child, leaving the task to the biological parent.

The term is a play on the expression “not your kids”; hence “nacho kids”.

The idea behind nacho parenting is not to act like a parent to a partner’s child, but to build a more relaxed and less stressful relationship between the stepparent and stepchild. Some stepparents may choose to be more involved than others.

Nacho parenting helps stepparents navigate their relationships with stepchildren without overstepping boundaries and avoiding conflict.