Has Parenting Become More Difficult?

By Justin Weinger

Most parents today would agree that parenting has become more difficult than ever before. The parent of today has little time for cleaning the home, reading books or adult conversations. You don't have a moment to yourself. Some parents talk about this difficulty being slightly exaggerated, but a kernel of truth does exist.

How Have the Basics Become so Difficult?

Basic tasks today like feeding, clothing, protecting, and educating children have never been more of a struggle. The skyrocketing costs of childcare have made it increasingly difficult to afford. Why do basic parenting 101 type things feel more difficult than in the past? Family life hasn't necessarily changed in the last few decades, but the rise of choices, the expansion of opportunities and instant gratification have made child-rearing more difficult than before. Another thing that may have contributed to the rising difficulty in parenting comes from the higher number of single-parent households. Since divorce has steadily risen, many parents find themselves raising children in a split household, which puts all the weight on them.

Having a Child by Choice

In the past, everyone who was capable of having children would have them, whether they wanted to or not it seemed; but today, it has become more of a choice. You can choose whether you want children or not. The 'having kids' stage has become optional. Having more money has become increasingly necessary than in the past because of the rising cost of living. One of the ways that you might pay for the cost of raising children is through selling your life insurance policy. You may find it difficult to pay the monthly payments. For those cases, you can sell your policy through one of the life insurance settlement companies rather than let it lapse. You can read a guide that will examine the top life settlement companies to sell to.

More Involved

Before, you might send your children out into the street and tell them to come home before the streetlights came on. Today, doing that same thing would earn you a visit from social services. The greater parental involvement has possibly contributed to it feeling more difficult than before. Granted, this is a good thing because it guides children more, but the greater involvement may have contributed to this feeling of being overwhelmed. Society tells us today that this is a 'good parent', but it leaves us little time for ourselves. Today, being deemed a good parent may prove more difficult than in the past.

The Role has Shifted

Teaching children manners and being respectful all played a role in past-generation parenting. 'Good parents' were those who could provide for their family, but today's parenting has seen the bar raised. This may be contributing to the different environment where being actively involved in the life of your child has become common. That's a good thing, but it does raise the standards and make it more difficult because some parents are busy providing for their children. In the past, successful parenting was measured through better outward behavior. But parents knew little about the child's inner emotional world or how it developed. There are always give and takes, or pros and cons to a changing world, even in the realm of parenting.