KQED's Forum Parental Burnout is the Latest Public Health Crisis
Nov 25, 2024
Claire Cain Miller, a New York Times reporter specializing in gender and family issues, joins clinical psychologist Keith Sutton to delve into the escalating crisis of parental burnout. They discuss how the rise of intensive parenting has led to unprecedented stress. Miller highlights that working mothers invest as much time with their kids as stay-at-home moms did decades ago. Sutton emphasizes the mental health implications, especially amplified during the pandemic, prompting a call for systemic support and community connection to counteract this trend.
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Time Spent with Kids
- Working mothers now spend as much time with kids as stay-at-home mothers did in the 1970s.
- Modern parents feel obligated to actively engage, unlike previous generations.
Spread of Intensive Parenting
- Intensive parenting, driven by growing inequality, started with the upper-middle class.
- It has spread across classes, creating stress, especially for lower-income parents.
Helicopter to Intensive Parenting
- Helicopter parenting, fueled by safety fears, emerged in the 80s and morphed into intensive parenting.
- Societal changes and increased working mothers contribute to constant supervision.