GAHANNA, Ohio — A national survey found nearly all parents felt stress tied to parenting, with children’s behavior and emotional health among the top reasons.
What You Need To Know
A Nationwide Children’s Hospital survey found 97% of parents felt stress tied to parenting
Parents cited finances, children’s behavior and children’s emotional health among the top stressors
Parent Amy Brill said the stress included the mental load of managing work, activities and finances
Brill, a mother of four, worked as a special education teacher, ran a cookie business on the side, and helped manage a home filled with school schedules, activities, pickups and drop-offs.
“It’s the mental load. I feel like I am constantly having to figure out where everyone is supposed to be and navigate all of that,” Brill said.
A new survey from Nationwide Children’s Hospital found 97% of parents felt stress tied to parenting. Among parents who reported stress, 35% cited their children’s behavior as a source of stress, while 26% cited their children’s emotional or mental health.
Ariana Hoet, executive clinical director at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said various parents were trying to raise children differently than they were raised.
“Parents today are trying to parent differently than maybe they were parented. They’re trying to put mental health first, but they don’t know how. And so you can imagine that creates a lot of stress for someone,” Hoet said.
Hoet said routines, daily conversations, time together, and clear boundaries could help families manage stress. She said parents’ stress also could affect the mood inside a home.
“Parents set the tone for the home. If I am stressed out, I’m going to show up stressed and kids are going to notice that. And they respond in the same way. And it creates this negative cycle,” Hoet said.
For Brill, stress also included the financial aspect of raising kids. She said her cookie business helps pay for opportunities and activities for her children, but it also takes more of her time.
“We work our butts off to make money to then provide, to do all these things for our kids. But then it’s like, you know, it’s always more and it’s never enough,” Brill said.
Brill said she relies on help from her husband, Matt, and her mother. Matt Brill said raising four children required support from others.
“It’s a lot of just a lot of teamwork. I realize now that it takes a village,” he said.
Brill said parenting left little time to stop worrying.
“Whenever you have a kid, you’re never going to sleep again because it doesn’t matter how old your kids are, you’re always going to worry about them,” she said.
Hoet said the goal is not perfect parenting, but helping families build small habits that could lower stress at home.