Raising children is one of the most important jobs in our society, and it has also become increasingly stressful. This fall, America’s chief medical doctor, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory stating that parenting is a health hazard.
He called on policymakers, parents and community members to do better.
Kristin Ruthstrom, a mother of three from Lee's Summit, told KCUR's Up To Date that being a parent is "more complicated" now than it was for her parents.
"I think it is the huge amount of information and or misinformation that is coming at us that we have to sift through, that we have to analyze, then we have to decide if we are going to implement it for our family," Ruthstrom said
According to the surgeon general's report, nearly 70% of parents point to technology and social media as major stressors making raising children more difficult.
Like never before, caregivers are inundated with parenting books, medical news, apps, podcasts and more providing recommendations and do's and don'ts when raising kids.
“At some point in time we lost the focus of doing our best, to being the best,” said Tim DeWeese, director of the Johnson County Mental Health Center.
DeWeese said the surgeon general’s advisory helps generate conversations about problems facing our society.
- Kristin Ruthstrom, parent and freelance writer
- Tim DeWeese, director, Johnson County Mental Health Center
