Colman Noctor: Is being a parent more challenging today than ever?

We don’t have the knowledge of the elders in the village to show us how to navigate this new and complex world

Pic: iStock

According to a recent survey of almost 4,000 parents by the Pew Research Centre in the US (exa.mn/parenting-in-America), parental fears have changed over the past decade. Previously, their primary concerns were about children’s physical safety, but today worries about their mental health have superseded these. Some 75% of parents surveyed said they mainly worried their children would struggle with anxiety or
depression or experience bullying.

This got me wondering if it is more challenging to be a parent now than in previous generations.