According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, mental health concerns have surpassed worries about certain physical threats to children, such as the dangers of drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancy, and getting into trouble with the police, to top the list of parental concerns. The survey also reveals that 35% of parents share a similar level of concern regarding their children being bullied. Additionally, with the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing reports of a youth mental health crisis, four-in-ten parents in the United States, who have children under the age of 18, express extreme or high levels of worry about their children possibly experiencing anxiety or depression at some point.
Concerned about the possibility of their children being shot or encountering issues with law enforcement, Black and Hispanic parents exhibit a higher likelihood compared to White and Asian parents in expressing extreme or high levels of concern. Parents with lower incomes and those of Hispanic descent, who generally display a greater tendency than other parents, are concerned about their children’s physical well-being, teenage pregnancy, and substance abuse issues. Moreover, variations based on income, race, and ethnicity exist, with mothers displaying significantly higher levels of worry than fathers regarding most of these concerns.
The following chapters of this report delve deeper into the aspirations, goals, worries, and parenting approaches of parents. It specifically focuses on the differences in parental perspectives based on income level, ethnicity, and race.
When inquired about their hopes for their children’s future as adults, parents give great importance to financial self-sufficiency and career contentment. A smaller percentage of married couples and parents prioritize their children earning a college degree, with 21% considering it very or extremely important, while 20% of parents-in-ten and nine-in-ten share the same sentiment about their children having enjoyable careers or jobs. Similarly, when their children become adults, approximately nine-in-ten parents emphasize the significance of their children being financially independent.
The significance that parents place on their children completing college differs greatly based on their race and ethnicity. Among Asian parents, 70% consider it extremely important, while 57% of Hispanic parents, 51% of Black parents, and only 29% of White parents share the same sentiment.
In contrast to 20% of fathers, 30% of mothers express that being a parent has proven to be considerably more challenging than they initially anticipated. This is particularly evident among mothers. With approximately a quarter (26%) stating that it has been significantly more difficult, the majority of parents (62%) acknowledge that being a parent has, to some extent, surpassed their expectations. Globally, parenting is widely recognized as the most demanding occupation, paying homage to the well-known saying about family life.
Regarding parenthood, there exist disparities based on income and racial or ethnic background (with upper-income and Black and White parents being the most inclined to describe their performance as excellent or very good). However, both mothers and fathers rate themselves highly. Merely 4% claim to be performing only fairly or poorly as parents, while 32% assert that they are doing a good job, and 64% affirm that they are excelling or performing very well in their role as parents. The majority of parents have a positive perception of their performance, with 64% stating that they are doing an outstanding or highly commendable job as parents. Concurrently.
To state it differently, White (25%) or Asian (24%) parents have a higher probability compared to Black (42%) and Hispanic (38%) parents. The crucial factor is being a parent, with mothers (35%) being more inclined than fathers (24%) to express this. As an individual, being a parent is regarded as the most significant aspect (30%) or one of the most significant aspects (57%), which holds true for both mothers and fathers, as well as across different income levels and racial and ethnic groups, according to the majority. Although some parents assign a relatively low level of importance to having their own children, this is a minority.
The major findings among these are from the survey conducted by the American Panel Trends Center, using data from October 2, 2022, to September 18, 20. The survey included 3,757 parents in the United States with younger children and is representative of the nation.
Both options do not accurately describe their parenting style, according to a survey that asked parents if they tend to be too strict or too lenient, if they excessively praise or criticize their children, if they are overprotective or give too much freedom, and if they push their children too hard or not hard enough. Out of the respondents, 45% said they tend to be overprotective, while only 20% admitted to giving too much freedom. A larger percentage, 35%, confessed to giving in too quickly rather than sticking to their rules. Instead of criticizing their children too much, 26% said they tend to excessively praise them. Similarly, 30% admitted to not pushing their children hard enough, rather than pushing them too hard.
There are significant variations in the ways in which mothers and fathers describe their parenting approach. For instance, in comparison to 38% of fathers, approximately 51% of mothers state that they have a tendency to be excessively cautious. On the other hand, fathers (24%) are more inclined than mothers (16%) to express that they provide their children with excessive freedom. Fathers are also more inclined to assert that they maintain their principles too firmly (36% as opposed to 24% of mothers), while mothers are likewise more likely than fathers to admit that they give in too quickly (40% compared to 27% respectively).
Likewise, just like many parents claim to be attempting to bring up their children in a comparable manner to how they were brought up (43%), an equal number of parents state that they are striving to raise their children differently (44%). It is more common for fathers (47%) to assert that they are raising their children in the same way they were raised compared to saying they are raising them differently (40%). Conversely, while 40% claim they are endeavoring to raise their children similarly, 48% of mothers express that they are attempting to raise their children differently from how they were raised.
About half of White parents also have differences in income and ethnic and racial backgrounds. About 42% of Black parents, 37% of Asian parents, and 32% of Hispanic parents were raised in a similar way to how they are raising their children. 49% of White parents say their own upbringing matches the way they are raising their children. Parents with higher incomes say the same at 51%, while parents with lower and middle incomes say the same but with smaller shares. The way parents raise their children may be different or similar to their own upbringing – it depends on the individual. Today’s parents have different or similar approaches to parenting, depending on how they see it.
According to a survey, individuals report feeling judged by various individuals in their lives. This includes people they interact with on online groups or message boards, their friends, and other parents in their community. At least some of the time, their own parents and their spouse or partner’s parents also express feeling judged. Additionally, a significant percentage of individuals feel judged by their spouse or partner. Specifically, when it comes to parenting their children, over half of married or cohabiting parents feel judged by their spouse or partner. Interestingly, parents feel more judged by their friends, other parents in their community, and people they interact with online, as opposed to their own family members. In fact, parents are more likely to report feeling judged by these external sources rather than their family members.
Within their local community, Caucasian parents are more inclined than other demographics to express feeling evaluated by fellow parents. Conversely, Asian parents are more prone than other racial or ethnic groups to report feeling scrutinized by their own parents. Moreover, mothers are more inclined than fathers to indicate feeling judged by individuals other than their husband or significant other. Nevertheless, among married and cohabiting parents, fathers are more prone than mothers to acknowledge feeling evaluated by their spouse or partner regarding their parenting approaches.
A majority of parents (57%) believe that their children’s accomplishments and setbacks are indicative of the quality of their parenting. Approximately one-third (34%) think that these achievements and failures reflect to some extent, while only 9% believe that they have little to no impact on their parenting abilities. However, around half or fewer parents admit to frequently feeling evaluated by various social groups.
According to the vast majority of parents, being a parent is both enjoyable and rewarding most of the time. However, a significant number of parents also find it tiring and stressful. In fact, 41% of parents say that being a parent is tiring most of the time, while 29% find it stressful. Both mothers and fathers are equally likely to describe parenting as enjoyable and rewarding. However, a larger percentage of mothers (47%) than fathers (34%) find it tiring, and a larger percentage of mothers (33%) than fathers (24%) find it stressful, at least most of the time.
The majority of children in the youngest age group, about 24% aged 5 to 12 years old and 39% aged 12 to 18 years old, say that being a parent is most or all of the time stressful and tiring, compared to those who have a younger child or a teenager. Parents with 5 or more children, especially those with the youngest child, are more likely to find parenting to be stressful and tiring than those with younger children. Experiences of children also vary.
The majority of adults, ranging from 65% to 94%, agree that it is very important to say that children have these traits as adults. A smaller percentage (27%) believe that it is extremely important for their children to accept and help others in need. Similarly, another group (42%) believes it is extremely important for their children to accept and help others who are different from them. Additionally, 40% of adults believe it is extremely important for their children to become kind and accepting individuals who help others in need. Furthermore, 48% of adults believe it is extremely important for their children to become hardworking individuals. These adults also believe it is extremely important for their children to become kind and accepting individuals who help others in need, with 66% expressing this sentiment.
Parents who identify as Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to say that it is very important, or even extremely important, for their children to share their political beliefs. About 16% of parents say the same about their children’s political beliefs, while 35% say the same about their children’s religious beliefs. Parents who place less importance on their own political or religious beliefs when raising their children acknowledge that their children may have similar or different beliefs.
Black or Hispanic parents are more inclined to believe that it is highly crucial for their children to share their religious convictions, with 40% of Black parents and 39% of Hispanic parents expressing this viewpoint. In contrast, 32% of White and Asian parents hold a similar perspective. Among religious groups, White evangelical Protestant parents exhibit the highest level of importance in ensuring their children’s alignment with their religious beliefs, with 70% considering it very or extremely important. This percentage surpasses that of White non-evangelical Protestant parents (29%) and Black Protestant parents (53%). Conversely, Catholic parents are less inclined to prioritize this, with only 35% expressing this belief. When it comes to the religiously unaffiliated, a meager 8% share the same sentiment.