A simple Disneyland trip made this mom reflect on why parenting today is more stressful than before

Gone are the days when parenting was about showing up, doing your best, and letting the rest unfold. On the contrary, these days, it feels like steering a high-pressure, high-visibility enterprise, complete with deadline anxiety, competitive benchmarks, and performance reviews. We are not saying this, but a modern-day parent, Sarah Biggers-Stewart, who has had to go through the drill, confessed to it in a two-minute-long video via her TikTok account @thebiggersthebetter.

She thought she was planning a magical family trip to Disneyland when she found herself knee-deep in what felt like a military-grade logistics drill. Biggers, who recently found herself in the trenches of modern parenting madness, described what she hoped would be a magical getaway quickly spiraled into a months-long mission of pre-dawn bookings and logistical chaos. For her, it was definitely beyond just Disneyland. It’s about how modern parenting has turned into a 24/7 production. “And nothing perfectly illustrates this better than this Disney trip we're going on next week and the multi-month booking process I've had to go through to make sure that we can have a normal Disney trip. Sixty days ago, I had to pre-book at 6 am, restaurants, activities,” she continued. She mentions that it makes her mad because "it doesn't have to be this way.”

Kids’ sports now feel super serious, like training for the Olympics. Some seven-year-olds drink protein shakes and get benched for missing just one practice. And summer camps fill up super fast. "We're treating these seven-year-olds like they're all gonna go pro. They can't even go with their families for a week's vacation during the summer break because if they miss a week, they're like shunned and benched,” she told her followers, while sitting in a car.  "The seven-year-olds are talking about their protein intake, and the parents are being lectured by the coaches about their protein intake. These kids are seven.” Lots of parents related to her concern. Many commented on Biggers-Stewart’s video, saying they feel just as tired and stressed.

@Anastasia Moore Rutt shared how she now has to plan summer camps as early as January—because if she doesn’t, there simply won’t be any childcare options left. @Hillary CF recalled how the magic of Disney used to be about just showing up and wandering around, no schedule required. But that’s no longer the case. For @Bookishlady, the difference was clear: “The first time we did Disney, I did nothing, and it was a nightmare. The second time, I came prepared with spreadsheets and a binder, and it was magical. It felt like planning a corporate summit, but it worked," she said.  Even free public library events aren't immune to the madness. As @Nikki Ann put it, “I can’t even take my kids to library programs without signing up weeks in advance. If you miss it, it’s already full.”

As Biggers put it, “Everything feels like it demands your full energy. Every activity, every meal, every moment. No wonder we're all tired.”

In truth, the challenge of parenting today is more about a culture that continually raises the bar. 

You can follow @thebiggersthebetter on TikTok for more parenting tips.