WASHINGTON: Parents in the US are under a lot of stress with the fast pace of the world and child care, and this is becoming a public health concern.
A recent government-issued Surgeon General’s advisory calls for a shift in policy and cultural norms.
American Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Moorthy wrote that parents’ job is not only to focus on the health of children but also on the health of society.
“We know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly related to the well-being of their children,” he said.
The advisory notes how mothers and fathers are now working many more hours than in 1985, but spending many more hours each week on primary childcare, and this is also reflected in the total time spent with their children. Doesn’t count.
The advisory says that quality time, sleep and parental leisure time have to be sacrificed to meet the demands of both work and childcare.
In addition, the pressure is even greater on aging parents or parents caring for other loved ones.
