#2
Really, who understands parents better than other parents? Or better yet, parenting memes. After all, the joys and chaos, the highs and lows of caring for children can be hard to fully explain to anyone who isn’t living it.
Parenting is a rollercoaster experience, and sometimes it feels like only those on the same ride truly get it—late nights, endless to-do lists, and moments that swing from draining to fulfilling without much warning
#4
That feeling is backed by data, too. An analysis of 10 years of APA Stress in America data found that parents of children under 18 are consistently more likely to report high levels of stress than people without kids.
In 2023, one-third of parents rated their stress as high—between 8 and 10 on a 10-point scale—compared with just 20% of the rest of the population.
And as December rolls in and the holidays approach, that stress tends to climb even higher. According to one study, the more stressed parents feel, the more likely they are to put on a brave face in front of their kids, choosing to keep the magic alive rather than let their children see how overwhelmed they really are.
“Instead of sharing how they really feel, parents tend to suppress their emotions or display emotions they don’t actually feel—for example, pretending to be happy when they are exhausted or overwhelmed,” Dr Ziwen Teuber, the author of the study, told The Guardian.
While that approach might work in the short term, Teuber says that in the long run, “it’s not beneficial—either for parents’ mental health or for parent-child interactions.”
The APA actually suggests doing almost the opposite. That doesn’t mean unloading every pent-up feeling onto your kids, but it does mean opening up to someone else about what’s weighing on you.
Robyn Koslowitz, PhD, a clinical psychologist and director of the Center for Psychological Growth of New Jersey, recommends connecting with other parents who are going through similar experiences.
That can include online spaces, though Koslowitz cautions against relying on social media purely for validation. Instead, she encourages seeking out virtual communities where shaming isn’t tolerated, such as moderated groups or message boards.
Parental burnout can be especially tough because, unlike occupational burnout, it’s not always possible to take a vacation, making the pressure feel constant and unavoidable.
That’s why, when stress starts to outweigh available resources, Moïra Mikolajczak, PhD, a professor of psychology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, suggests looking for smaller ways to ease the load.
That might mean handing off a few chores to a partner or kids or cutting back on activities if a child’s schedule feels overwhelming. Even minor tweaks can help create a better sense of balance.
