The surgeon general says parental stress is a public health issue

Feels like a big deal! What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

Today the surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, came out with an advisory* statement saying that parents are more stressed out than other adults and that’s bad for everyone (like for example: kids, other grown-ups, parents themselves and society at large). Maybe that doesn’t sound super ground breaking to you, or maybe it….does? It feels like a pretty massive deal to see a headlines like these:

Just look at that! Is that validation tingling within me? A lot has been written about parental stress (see for example, Jess Grose’s book, "Screaming On The Inside”) so it’s not really that element that gets me. As I read the actual, full text of Dr. Murthy’s advisory, I was struck by its parent-to-parent tone of compassion, kindness and warmth as well as its focus on the need for caregivers to feel that their labors are truly of value and valued by others. I read and re-read certain parts of it, and kept coming back to this bit:

“I am calling for a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents. I am also outlining policies, programs, and individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers....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...

Raising healthy, educated, and fulfilled children is at the heart of building a strong future. It benefits all of society. And it is a collective responsibility.”

That feels so big, right? You can read the full report here. The policies he suggests (affordable childcare, parental leave, etc) are sort of no-duh but also feel pretty out of reach. But some of the cultural goals — like just caring more about caregivers in a person-to-person way — feel real and good and so nice to see OFFICIALLY called for.

What do you think about it all? Share your thoughts in the comments! And if you want a good cry, check out the report’s dedication:

* TIL that: “Surgeon General's Advisories are public statements that call the American people's attention to a critical public health issue.” Still feels like a word is missing to just say “issued an advisory” but apparently that’s correct!