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Opinion from the Surgeon General -

In a recent interview on NPR, the US Surgeon General spoke about the fact that parents are currently experiencing a mental health crisis.

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Key statistic -

According to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murphy, who is himself a father of two, as many as 48% of parents feel "overwhelmingly stressed" every single day.

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Multiple contributing factors -

According to the available sources, there are various factors that are adding to the increasing exhaustion of modern-day parents.

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Addressing the problem -

Given that the mental health of parents is so important (both for their own well-being and for their children’s), something must be done to address the problem.

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Children -

However, given the complex reasons for the crisis, it can be difficult to determine the best path forward.

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Pressure to be 'better parents' -

One of the key reasons that experts believe parents’ mental health is suffering is that the pressure to be 'better parents' has hit an all-time high.

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The rise in helicopter parenting -

Largely thanks to social media, many parents feel they must be involved in all areas of their children’s lives. This so-called 'helicopter' approach is time consuming and exhausting.

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Pressure to constantly supervise -

Many parents feel that they must supervise their children’s activities or, at the very least, enroll their children in supervised activities.

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Fear of being accused -

Unsupervised play is largely a thing of the past, and many parents don’t let their children play out of their own fear of being accused of neglect.

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Difficult problem to tackle -

Indeed, this hands-on form of parenting appears to be everywhere, and it is difficult to combat when everyone else seems to be doing it.

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Widespread issue -

Many parents live in fear that a neighbor will report them to the authorities if their child is seen playing on their own.

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Pressure to keep children busy -

In the 21st century, there is also a considerable amount of pressure on parents to ensure their children are busy at all times.

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Pressure to keep children busy -

For many parents, this means ferrying their children around to various after-school activities, which can be very exhausting.

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Unrealistic expectations for themselves -

Another reason that parents’ mental health may suffer is that they put unrealistic expectations upon themselves.

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Unrealistic expectations for themselves -

In many cases, parents try to do more for their children than their parents did for them, and when their efforts are not appreciated, it can leave them feeling dejected.

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Fear of babysitters -

Ever since child abduction became more common in the late 1980s, we as a society have become much more aware of 'stranger danger.'

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Fear of babysitters -

As a result, there is a general distrust of babysitters, which means that parents don’t go out and enjoy themselves. Their lives revolve solely around work and looking after the kids.

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Country-specific concerns -

Then there are the country-specific dangers that children face on a day-to-day basis. These can leave parents feeling constantly worried.

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Country-specific concerns -

In the case of the US, for example, the majority of parents harbor a silent, eroding fear about school shootings.

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Technology -

Technology is another factor that has a negative impact on many parents’ mental well-being. Today, kids’ access to technology is worlds apart from that which their parents enjoyed as children.

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Technology -

For many parents, it can be very difficult to navigate their children’s relationship with devices, and many parents are constantly worried about what their children are being exposed to online.

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Money worries -

The question of money is also top of mind for many parents. Indeed, raising a child is far from cheap! To make matters worse for those in the US, employers are not required to provide paid time off for new parents.

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Negative thoughts -

Last but not least, many parents are in a constant battle with voices in their heads that tell them they’re getting everything wrong and they aren’t good enough.

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Negative thoughts -

Much of the time these voices are reflective of the parents’ own upbringing, and they are very destructive. They can prevent parents from being present in the current moment.

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Tackling the problem -

In order to make things easier for parents and lighten the mental load, they need tangible support rather than sympathy.

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What employers can do -

Employers should focus on introducing initiatives that support parents’ well-being, such as flexible work schedules.

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Shift in perspective required -

That's not to say we don't need a shift in perspective overall, though; people should remember that the work of parenting is not essential only for children, but for society in general.

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Question of value and respect -

Only when society begins to truly value and respect the time that people spend parenting will things start to change.

Sources: (Connective Parenting) (NPR)

See also: How money dysmorphia can hurt your mental health

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