Parenting: A Hazard, says the Surgeon General
Have you heard the surgeon general’s latest warning?
I was sitting with Amy and Lindsay of babycito last week when Lindsay announced, “The surgeon general just issued a warning that parenting is hazardous to your health!”
I thought she must be looking at a funny meme, but when I realized she was serious, I started googling.
In a recent advisory, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy discussed the mental health and well-being of parents.
He said that becoming a parent is signing up for a lifetime of joy...and worry. In his advisory, Parents Under Pressure, he details how parents and caregivers in America are under pressure.
Financial concerns, time constraints, worries about health and safety, navigating technology, social media, and a culture of comparison - It's a lot.
I see the toll of parenting everyday in my work with moms facing incredible amounts of stress, anxiety, guilt, and shame.
The answer isn’t don’t parent. But it is important for parents to get support and find strategies to calm their nervous systems in order to better manage the overwhelm and stress that comes with raising children.
As the advisory concludes, “Simply put, caregivers need care, too.”
You can learn more and download the official advisory at www.surgeongeneral.gov/parents.
And if you need more support, get in touch or download my “Toolkit for Stress Management” here.
