Nacho Parenting Trend Is Taking Over Social Media & It Has Stepparents Talking

Being a stepparent can be challenging. When you marry your spouse, you want to love their children and hope they love you. That works out great for some families, but not everyone is so lucky. Things can get ugly if a contentious relationship exists between your spouse and their ex. This is particularly true if they don't co-parent well and you seem stuck in the middle.

Some stepparents are very hands-on and do their best to keep the peace among everyone, and then some are "nacho parents." You know — not your kid, not your problem. This style of stepparenting only works for some families, but it is evidently gaining popularity and lots of social media attention. People on both sides have thoughts, and it is pretty polarizing.

Some nacho parents say figuring out your role with your stepchildren is not your job.

No one ever said that being a stepparent is easy, and figuring out where you belong isn't easy either. Karamo Brown, whom you may recognize from the Karamo Show or the Queer Eye franchise, has amassed millions of followers across his social media platforms and took on the topic of nacho parenting on TikTok. In his pro-nacho parenting opinion, a stepparent is not responsible for making the rules.

"It is your job to go to the biological parent and say, 'How do you feel about me doing X, Y, Z?' It is their job to say, 'Hey, this is what you can do, this is what you can't do. And maybe that will change later, But right now, these are the boundaries'" he says in one video.

A stepparent doesn't have to be the bad guy.

A lot of times with kids, there is already resentment about their parents' breakup, and bringing in a new authority figure isn't going to be a smooth transition.

Brown said it is essential for a kid to be involved in the conversation while everyone figures out how the new puzzle pieces fit together. He explained that he didn't want to get to know his mom's new boyfriend when he was a kid because he didn't feel like he was heard.

Talk to moms about mom stuff. And make money doing it.

Even though Brown's advice sounds good, not everyone agrees with his take.

Some people in the comments think he has it all wrong. It isn't just about setting boundaries; there is also an element of discipline that he missed.

"Actually nacho parenting is not being involved as a disciplinary person or big decision maker when it comes to the step child," a TikToker pointed out.

"@karamobrown not wondering about boundaries. As a SP Nacho Parenting is about making a choice not to engage in parenting in high conflict situations," another person agreed.

"this is exactly why single people should not date people with kids. kids know you can't discipline them either😂" one commenter wrote.

Some stepparents talked about how hard their situation is.

"As a stepmom struggling, I set my own boundaries because it went crazy toxic real quick. 😭," one mom cried.

"As a teacher and a step parent, I love that you encourage including the kids! They are the most important part of the entire equation," another mom praised.

"I left the husband because he would over step those boundaries and disrespect my son. peace out my kids come first," yet another mom agreed.

Brown isn't the only one talking about nacho parenting.

Many folks on TikTok talk about stepparents, and some say nacho parenting is a no-go. Franco Zavala posts on TikTok as @franco_zavala, and he tells stepdads that they have to step in.

"Stepdads, if you subscribe to the nachoing method, not your kids, not your problem, you are taking the coward's way out. It is your responsibility to build relationships with the kids. It is your responsibility to do anything and everything to build a happy home so that you can move forward within your stepparenting journey with love and respect," he shares.

People didn't love Zavala's advice.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! It is not his job to parent my child! But he was already a teen," someone argued.

"I agree with everything else but you got Nacho parenting wrong. Most stepparents who Nacho have amazing bond with kids," another commenter wrote.

"This is nonsense," another parent wrote.

It is up to each family to determine what works best for them, but it also has to be what is best for the kids because they are an important part of the family.