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Despite all the struggles mentioned in the pictures, the vast majority of parents say their role is enjoyable most (58%)–or all (25%)–of the time, according to Pew Research Center findings from 2022.
Similarly, parents feel that raising kids is also rewarding most (44%)–or all (36%)–of the time.
Mothers and fathers are pretty much equally likely to say that being a parent is enjoyable and rewarding, but a larger share of mothers than fathers say parenting is tiring (47% vs. 34%) and stressful (33% vs. 24%), at least most of the time.
Grown and Flown was created by moms, wives, and friends Mary Dell Harrington and Lisa Endlich Heffernan.
Everything began while they were working alternate Tuesday mornings at their children’s school. After Mary Dell made the coffee and Lisa poured it, they bonded over the changes happening in their lives as their eldest sons were "on the threshold of walking out of [their] thresholds."
Now, they cover a wide range of issues related to parenting teens and college students, such as high school, college admissions, and lessons learned from other parents and grandparents.
The two collaborators also published the book Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults.
Mary Dell and Lisa jokingly said they speak in hushed tones when writing about their kids because, one day, they might retaliate by creating a website of their own.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, 66% of moms and dads feel the demands of parenthood sometimes, or frequently, leave them feeling isolated and lonely, while nearly 40% felt as though they have no one to support them in their parenting role.
"Loneliness has been shown to affect both your physical and mental health,” said Kate Gawlik, DNP, associate clinical professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, a researcher on parental burnout and the mother of four young children. “So anything from cardiovascular disease to depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, even your immune system can be affected when you're lonely."
These humorous posts might not solve all your problems, but if they can help you connect with others and lighten the load, even just a little, then they’re definitely worth it.