U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory last week to warn of the pressure that parents experience. Murthy urged that resources be used to help families, and called on society to care about children and to behave accordingly.
The stressors impacting parents (and children) noted in the advisory, “Parents Under Pressure,” include financial strain, economic instability, poverty, demands on time, worries about children’s health and safety, feelings of isolation among parents, fears about social media’s impact on children, and cultural pressures and expectations.
“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,” Murthy said.
In his opening letter to the advisory, Murthy said parents should be supported by way of policy changes and community programs, but also noted that parents should be given time off from work to care for sick children, that affordable child care should be accessible, and that mental health resources should be available to parents. He argued that parenting is just as challenging as a job outside the home.
“The work of raising a child is work, no less valuable than the work performed in a paid job and of an extraordinary value when it comes to the impact on the future of society,” said Murthy.
READ: WaPo author implies that abortion is needed because adoption and parenting are hard
The advisory noted, “There are important cultural shifts needed in order to make parenting sustainable and to enable parents and caregivers to thrive. First, it’s time to value and respect time spent parenting on par with time spent working at a paying job, recognizing the critical importance to society of raising children. 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. 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.”
The advisory explained that parents are the primary caregivers for children, but that ensuring children are healthy, educated, and fulfilled is “at the heart of building a strong future.” Murthy called for policies that will invest in the health, education, and safety of children.
Much of the stress on parents has to do with the modern lifestyle, including the mental health crisis facing children and teens due to social media, as well as an “epidemic of loneliness” among parents. Murthy called for society to create a culture in which parents can connect with and support each other.
He explained, “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.”
In addition to policy changes and community resources, Murthy said society should share in the responsibility of raising children by adjusting their “individual behavior accordingly.”
