"Bvc-tanten": Pressure on Parents Is High Today

Victoria Serrander Lif, a pediatric nurse and social media personality known as "Bvc-tanten," sees immense pressure on today's parents to be perfect. "The pressure is great on parents today. You have to be perfect in every way, the house must be nice, the children must be nicely dressed. It's easy to compare yourself to what's on Instagram," she says.

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The pressure is great on parents today. You have to be perfect in every way, the house must be nice, the children must be nicely dressed. It's easy to compare yourself to what's on Instagram.

After 17 years as a child health nurse, Lif has witnessed significant changes in parenting, particularly influenced by social media. "I experienced that many parents were affected by social media. I started following the feed on Instagram and TikTok myself and saw how advice and findings spread quickly," she recalls.

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I experienced that many parents were affected by social media. I started following the feed on Instagram and TikTok myself and saw how advice and findings spread quickly.

To counter misinformation, Lif started her own Instagram account, later expanding to TikTok due to her daughter's encouragement. Her accounts, followed by nearly 40,000 people, offer advice without judgment. "I try to give tips without pointing fingers – this is how you can lift your child, this is how you can think before having a sibling – simple things, but it feels like that's what's needed," she explains.

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I try to give tips without pointing fingers – this is how you can lift your child, this is how you can think before having a sibling – simple things, but it feels like that's what's needed.

Lif receives numerous comments and private messages with questions, though she avoids providing direct medical advice. Common concerns revolve around feeding and sleeping. "Finger food for small children has become a huge trend. There's nothing wrong with that, but when it becomes so big, parents whose children don't want to eat like that feel like bad parents," she notes. She also addresses the spread of unverified advice, such as the notion that holding a baby by the ankles during diaper changes could harm their hips, stating, "Strange things like that for which there is no evidence but which spread very widely."

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Finger food for small children has become a huge trend. There's nothing wrong with that, but when it becomes so big, parents whose children don't want to eat like that feel like bad parents.