Colman Noctor: Competitive parenting serves no one and puts pressure on parents and kids

That our children’s success reflects our parenting skills is a pressure many parents feel

Dr Colman Noctor: "Perhaps all we can do is take a deep breath, ask ourselves what matters, and step out of the race. You cannot lose if you are not playing the game"

When I was getting married 15 years ago, an older friend said to me, ‘Being married is easy — it's the becoming a parent bit you have got to worry about’.  In hindsight, he had a point.

It’s a privilege to be a parent, and raising children is a deeply rewarding experience. However, parenting is hard and seems more difficult now than it was for past generations.