Dani Dyer, Arabella Chi and Daisy Lowe today attended the launch of ‘Soothing Sounds’ – an album to help new parents deal with stress and overwhelm
New research reveals that 93% of new parents are bombarded with daily unsolicited advice on how to raise their baby – with most coming from friends, family, and even, in some cases, strangers – leading to overwhelm, anxiety and irritation. Some reported receiving up to 25 different pieces of conflicting advice every week. Alongside this face-to-face advice, there is a deluge of information on social media platforms – with over 6m videos featuring parenting advice across Instagram and TikTok[1].
Taking into account the average length of a video on TikTok, it would take the parents up until their baby’s 8th birthday to consume all of the related parenting advice content[2].
Recognising the potential for stress and confusion caused by this information overload, JOHNSON’S® Baby, a trusted partner for parents for over a century, has launched a tool for parents: the white noise album ‘Soothing Sounds’.
This creative initiative from JOHNSON’S® Baby is a direct response to the challenges mums and dads face in navigating the digital age of parenting. Listen here: https://ditto.fm/soothing-sounds-johnsons-baby
As a brand deeply committed to supporting families through every stage of parenthood, JOHNSON’S® Baby understands the importance of creating a calm and nurturing environment. The album is a suite of tracks designed to provide a sense of calm for both babies and new parents, who may be feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of often conflicting and unhelpful parenting advice. The album turns the barrage of unsolicited advice into white noise, offering a soothing experience for everyone in the family.
The album features a white noise soundscape, created with inspiration from different sources of online parenting advice. The sounds, from blogs, social media and even personal anecdotes, have been mixed and manipulated by a music producer to create white noise – taking something that was previously aggravating for new parents, and turning it into something genuinely soothing.
Each track transforms the sounds of parenting advice into calming white noise, which is then expertly blended with vocals, melody, and percussion to create an enjoyable listening experience for all ages. The soundscapes are thoughtfully designed to complement different parts of a baby’s day, from wake-up and first nap to bathtime and bedtime.
A poll of 1,000 new parents revealed the challenges they face in navigating the overwhelming amount of advice they’re offered. While some might be welcome, the study found that only 59% of it is considered useful, leaving parents to sift through a significant amount of misinformation and outdated practices. This constant stream of advice in the baby’s first year, which a fifth said was mostly unsolicited, contributed to new parents feeling overwhelmed.
The most common themes for unsolicited advice revolved around:
Feeding (44%): Including weaning strategies and introducing solids.
Product Purchases (38%): Ranging from essential gear to trendy gadgets, leading to confusion about what’s truly necessary.
Sleep Training (38%): Covering a wide spectrum of approaches, from “cry it out” to co-sleeping, often leading to parental anxiety.
The research also identified some of the most frequently cited, yet potentially unhelpful, pieces of advice, including:
“I always used to do THIS, and my kids turned out fine”
“Sleep when the baby sleeps”
“You’re not holding the baby correctly”
“Babies should be left to cry it out”
“You must have a second baby as otherwise you are selfish/ your other child will suffer/ be spoilt, etc.”
The research, from JOHNSON’S® Baby, indicated that 76% of parents are already aware of the potential benefits of white noise in helping babies fall asleep, suggesting a pre-existing receptiveness to this solution. Furthermore, 40% of parents found that white noise helped calm them down just as much as their baby, highlighting the potential for dual benefits.
Some parents cited using an unusual array of sounds for their ‘soothing’ white noise benefits – including fish tank bubbles (10%), their dishwasher (9%), or even a blender (9%).
Dani Dyer, JOHNSON’S® Baby ambassador said: “When you first have your baby, it can seem like everyone’s got something to say. Of course, this can be so lovely and helpful, but when it’s too much, it becomes overwhelming – especially when you add things like social media in. My babies adore white noise – me, less so. So, I’m delighted that JOHNSON’S® Baby have created something so soothing which the whole family can benefit from.”
