Parents Are Stressed. Here’s What We Can Do to Help Them

Parents are stressed and it’s time to do something about it. That, in a nutshell, is the message from the U.S. Surgeon General’s recent public health advice regarding parental mental health and well-being.

The report found that parents and caregivers often face increased stress due to financial problems, concerns about children’s health and safety, isolation and loneliness, and difficulty dealing with technology and social media.

In a Pew Research Center Report 2023More than a quarter of American parents said parenting is a lot harder than they expected, while another third of parents said it is even slightly harder than they expected.

This news probably comes as no surprise to the 6 million Canadian families with childrenDespite the overwhelming number of parenting books, blogs, apps and websites, many feel largely unprepared for parenthood.

The US report should be a call to action to provide parents with the help they need to care for themselves and their families.

Why is parenting stressful?

Parenting is probably harder than expected. Not only do modern families have to ensure their children’s safety, meet their needs, deal with time pressures and worry about finances, they also face increasing pressures and new stressors.

Today in Canada, two-thirds of mothers work full-time as we continue to accept a greater share of physical household chores and more likely to worry aging parentsSome parents, particularly those facing economic, social, and cultural barriers, may carry a greater burden of caregiving stress.

Over the past 40 years, the roles of fathers have also changed. There is a higher percentage of families with fathers as stay-at-home parents; one in ten in 2015, compared to one in seventy in 1976. Similarly have greater participation in household chores (76 percent in 2015 compared to 51 percent in 1986) and the time spent on primary childcare (49 percent in 2015 compared to 33 percent in 1986).

New stressors to parenting include the increase in mental health problems in young peopleThere are also the difficulties of navigating and negotiating the ever-changing landscape of technology and social media with childrenincluding growing concerns about safety and impact on children’s healthThis is accompanied by rising childcare costs and tight finances due to inflation.

Reducing parental stress

While stressors vary by family and developmental stage of the child, there are common challenges that come with raising children, including financial struggles, balancing routines and schedules, navigating technology, and managing mental health issues for themselves and their children.

To reduce parental stress and promote the well-being of both caregivers and children, we need effective policies, improved programs, and cultural shifts. Public health campaigns that address these challenges increase awareness and reduce the stigma associated with parenting challenges.

All messages should address ethnic, linguistic and socio-economic diversity in a sensitive manner.

Mine research team McMaster University is currently working on developing resources, building on the innovative materials created by colleagues at the University of Oxford to help parents worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent study from the US found that two-thirds of parents feel lonely and isolated. Nearly 80 percent of parents surveyed also said that they would find it important to have a way to connect with other parents outside of work and home. Building supportive networks where parents can connect with each other goes a long way toward addressing those feelings.

Collective action is needed to provide opportunities for parents and caregivers to meet, share perspectives and insights, and support each other.

Providing such opportunities in settings such as community groups, workplaces, schools, faith-based organisations, and health and social support systems can help to overcome common barriers to access and promote engagement (for example, by organising short seminars to discuss key parenting issues with parents).

Some policy recommendations

In Canada, more can be done at all levels of government to support parents, caregivers and their families. Policymakers should expand financial assistance programs such as the Child Benefit Canada And Child Disability Benefit.

Although progress has been made towards childcare supportAccessibility issues, particularly the availability and affordability of high-quality programs, continue to pose a challenge for many parents.

Too many families struggle to meet their basic needs, contributing to parenting stress and negatively impacting mental health. Expanded funding and resources must be prioritized for food and housing security and prevention of adverse childhood experiences. 2022 National Advisory Council on Poverty Report offers a range of strategies that governments should implement to support parents and caregivers.

While most provinces and territories offer online support to connect families to services, navigating complex needs across organizations and services can be challenging and confusing. Governments need to develop uniform ways to access social and health services.

Accessible and affordable, high-quality mental health care is needed for parents and caregivers. This includes supporting telehealth options; reducing wait times by expanding and supporting mental health services and community mental health options; and strengthening government-funded coverage.

Although the cost argument is consistently raised, cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies have been shown to save future dollars in healthcare costs and lost productivity with substantial benefits to society.

Parental mental health support should be integrated into primary care, child mental health services and schools. Due to split government funding, support is currently delivered through separate service delivery systems, which limits our ability to two generation family approaches.

One way to achieve this is by integrating social workers, mental health providers or peer support specialists into child and primary care settings and schools.

Touchpoints with health systems (vaccination, wellness, and annual visits) can be used to educate parents and caregivers about their stress, sleep, and mental health, and to provide information about childhood milestones and developmental changes, and strategies for parenting and overall wellness. Social services and education systems can similarly provide resources to families.

Resources for Parents

If you as a parent or caregiver need help for yourself or your child, help is available. The Canadian Mental Health Association offers various resources and support for families

Children Help Phone is available 24/7 for children and youth. Parents can also contact them for advice or to access online resources. You can call them toll-free at 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

Families Canada also provides a comprehensive listing of family support centres across Canada.

The US Surgeon General’s advice on parental stress was a wake-up call, highlighting what we need to do to support parents. This includes all of us: family members, friends, colleagues, employers, professionals, teachers and policymakers.

Raising a child is not easy. And while it may sound mundane, it really does take a village.

This article has been republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.