Survey: Most Parents Would Take a Pay Cut if It Meant Childcare Was Provided

If you feel like you’re failing your baby, you’re sadly not alone. In fact, only about 30 percent of parents say they’re confident in their parental capabilities on a given day, a new survey reveals. The analysis was conducted to highlight modern-day parenting woes, including a lack of a support system and learning how to handle social media expectations.

The main takeaways are highlighted in the first annual Parent Confidence Report. Take a look at some of the key elements causing today’s parents to struggle and ultimately second guess themselves.

Why Parents Lose Confidence in Themselves

Lack of support

You’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times—it takes a village. But what if you haven’t found your people yet. Sadly, that seems to be the case for most parents. An overwhelming 70 percent feel like they have to “do it all” without any type of support system in place, and the same amount of people think it’s harder to raise a child today than it was a decade ago.

They’d do anything to get some help—even if it means less pay. Sixty-seven percent believe employers should help lighten the load and help with the cost of childcare, and many believe universal childcare from birth to kindergarten should be offered through government assistance. Plus, 55 percent of parents say they’d be happy to take a pay cut if it meant working for a company that provided quality childcare. One in three moms and one in five dads have even debated whether going back to work is worth it given the astronomical cost of childcare—which some economic experts say costs more than a college tuition!

Screen time and social media expectations

The perfect parent doesn’t exist, unless you’re online. A previous study revealed the rise of social media has contributed to parents’ feelings of inadequacy, and the Parent Confidence Report mirrors those same results. Nearly half of all mothers think social media comparisons make parenting harder.

Just as social media was something previous generations of parents never had to worry about, screen time also opens a whole other can of worms. Sixty-three percent of parents say monitoring their kid’s screen time makes it harder to parent, and they think it even affects their child’s confidence in themselves.

Information Overload

Today’s parents are privy to all the latest happenings, and can Google themselves into a full-blown panic attack. Sometimes, there really is such a thing as too much information. One in four parents feel the excessive amount of information available at their fingertips actually makes them question themselves and whether they are doing the best thing for their child.

If you want to be a more confident parent, here’s the first thing you need to do: Breathe. Raising a tiny human isn’t easy, and you’re probably not giving yourself nearly as much credit as you deserve. You’re not alone. Just take a look at the This Is Parenthood campaign. The movement gives a look at what the first year of parenting is like, embracing imperfection and working to inspire self-confidence in parents everywhere.