Doctor explains how parenting is turning into a serious ‘health hazard’ nowadays: 'I have found...'

More and more parents are feeling stressed, which is being passed on to their children

PUBLISHED 6 HOURS AGO

Representative image of a mother looking upset while her children are playing beside her (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Vera Livchak)

There's no denying that parenting is incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with its fair share of struggles. From sleepless nights and constant worry to balancing all the household responsibilities, it can quickly become overwhelming. Sometimes, a lack of support from the partner can also cause a feeling of isolation. A surgeon general from the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has raised concerns about the growing stress levels among parents, warning that parenting is slowly becoming a serious health hazard. The increasing workload and societal expectations that come along with raising a child are affecting the mental well-being of parents everywhere.

Representative image of a mother holding a child (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Justin Paget)

In his advisory, Dr. Murthy shared that while he feels lucky to be a dad of two children, there are times when he also finds it very tough. As reported by The Hill, he said, “The stresses parents and caregivers have today are being passed to children in direct and indirect ways, impacting families and communities across America.” He also shared that 41% of parents feel too stressed to function on most days, and 48% say their stress is completely overwhelming, as reported by KVUE. The advisory revealed that a major source of stress for parents today are technology and social media.

A representative image of a stressed mother. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Urbazon)

According to the data collected and analyzed, more than half of the sample population (70%) agrees that parenting is harder now than it was 20 years ago, and it is mainly because of kids increasingly getting used to electronic devices like mobile phones. Moving ahead, Dr. Murthy shared, “In my conversations with parents and caregivers across America, I have found guilt and shame have become pervasive, often leading them to hide their struggles, which perpetuates a vicious cycle where stress leads to guilt, which leads to more stress.” The surgeon general suggests we need some very important cultural changes, like valuing parenting time as much as work time.

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He said, "Many parents and caregivers feel undervalued for prioritizing parenting over employment, whether that means choosing to be a full-time parent or managing the many work tradeoffs involved in being an employed parent." He added, "We must recognize the importance of parenting and reflect it in how we prioritize resources, design policy, shape work environments, and approach our conversations with parents." In order to tackle the issue, he believes that parents shouldn’t feel pressurized to raise their kids alone. Support from society and friends plays a major role in lowering their stress levels.

Murthy said, “Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us. And the health and well-being of those who are caring for our children should matter to us as well.” The following recommendations were to speak openly about parenting stress and to build strong connections between parents to fight loneliness. Speaking of challenges of parenting, when a mom on TikTok, Michaela Estrada (@itsmichaelaest), casually asked her online community for parenting hacks, she was met with some crazy suggestions and tips that could be of help to any parent. Would you try any of these on your kid?