Staff ReportsBiden’s Surgeon General has decided to weigh in on the age-old debate of parenting, comparing the experience to a potentially catastrophic life decision. In a twist that could only come from the Biden administration, Dr. Vivek Murthy suggests that parenting might just come with a government-approved warning label: “Caution: may cause extreme stress, depression, and crippling loneliness.” This is undoubtedly a shocking claim coming from a high-ranking health official, but it raises an eyebrow and begs the question—was parenting ever anything other than challenging?
Dr. Murthy has placed mental health at the forefront of government priorities, a noble venture for sure, but it comes with its quirks. The Surgeon General’s take on parenting implies that the noble act of raising children is somehow akin to engaging in risky behavior. One could say that this viewpoint might oversimplify the joys and tribulations of parenthood, reducing it to a statistic on a bar chart. Since when did the diaper-wearing, tantrum-throwing years become synonymous with outright mental illness? One simply needs to look at any seasoned parent who has survived those early years to know that stress and parenting go hand in hand, but serious psychological issues? Hardly.
The U.S. surgeon general is warning that parenting can be harmful to your mental health because of dangerous levels of stress.
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It is curious that a recent American Psychological Association survey reveals parents report feeling more overwhelmed than their childless peers. While that may very well be the case, anyone who has ever dealt with a giggling toddler launching themselves off the couch understands that a healthy dose of chaos is par for the course. And let’s face it—“loneliness” might be a buzzword Mr. Murthy uses to ring alarm bells, but plenty of non-parents are left feeling isolated too. Whether it’s the elderly down the street or the college kid pulling an all-nighter, there’s an epidemic of stress, but attributing it to the noble role of parenthood misses the mark.
So, what does Dr. Murthy propose? A public service campaign to pull the parenting community together, or perhaps a national paid family leave policy? It sounds a tad ironic that in calling for more governmental support for parents, there is an underlying assumption that getting involved in the job of parenting is just too much for today’s adults. Instead of relying on Aunt Susan for help, today’s parents may need government-sponsored workshops to teach them about the trials of parenting and create support networks. Surely, that’s a recipe for more stress. After all, who would’ve thought that navigating parenting could be so complex that it requires government intervention?
The irony here is pungent. If you think about the world where neighborhoods thrive on friendly connections, it seems ludicrous to think that modern-day parents need government nudges to build community spirit. During the golden years of parenting, when kids would roam free and mothers would share responsibilities, no one needed formal programs to feel supported. Neighborly trust took the place of bureaucratic red tape, yet here we are now, viewing motherhood through the lens of clinical anxiety and depression.
Dr. Murthy’s intentions may come from a place of concern, but extending the government’s reach into the realm of parenthood might create more issues than it solves. Perhaps instead of waiting on officials to establish new frameworks and support, parents should lean on the richness of shared experiences and community building that has fostered camaraderie for generations. After all, raising self-sufficient, resilient children who can tackle the hurdles of life is quite the antidote to the alleged loneliness and despair the Surgeon General points out.
