More than half of parents report burnout, U.S. study finds. What can be done?

A new study has found that high expectations, both internal and external, can lead to unrealistic pressure to be a perfect parent.

Having a child is often seen as a blessing, but a new study has found many parents are reporting burnout and experts caution that can impact the whole family.

The study from the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Nursing surveyed 722 adults in the U.S. with children under the age of 18 last summer and found 57 per cent of parents self-reporting burnout.

The issue, study co-author Bernadette Melnyk says, is the expectations parents feel are placed on them.

“There is no such thing as a perfect parent,” she told Global News. “But so many parents strive for levels of perfection with their children in particular, and people in our study who believed they were not a good parent had more burnout, more depression, more anxiety and their children were doing more poorly.”

The responses the study received included parents saying they felt like there was an “internal drive to have the perfect day for my kids,” while another said despite the pressure to be a perfect parent, it was a goal that could never be reached.

That aim for perfection often was associated with both internal and external expectations, ranging from worrying if they are a good parent to perceived judgment from others, as well as wanting to have more time to play with their children.

Julie London with the Positive Parenting Association of Ontario said it often comes down to trying to keep up appearances to prevent judgment.

“Ultimately, parents simply want the best for their children,” she said. “(But) when parents can ignore societal pressures they are doing themselves and their children a favour.”