How to help overwhelmed parents
Written by Emily Swartzlander
Parents and caregivers need our help.
I’ve led work that supports parents and caregivers for two decades.
I’ve also been a parent for nearly 13 years.
And over time, I’ve noticed a growing trend. Parents and caregivers are overworked, overstressed and overwhelmed – and it’s impacting their health.
As communicators and leaders, there are three easy guidelines you can follow to ensure your messages break through the noise to reach this overwhelmed (but critical!) audience.
step 1: acknowledge the reality our parents face
Research backs up what I’ve seen on the ground.
Parents and caregivers are twice as likely as other adults to report that they are so stressed they cannot function.
Parents and caregivers are twice as likely to report that their stress is completely overwhelming most days – and prolonged stress has severe and long-lasting health impacts.
In fact, U.S. Surgeon Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory in August that officially elevates parental stress to the same level of public health urgency as smoking and AIDS.
After the Surgeon General released the public health advisory, much of the media coverage called out two concepts that fuel the idea that parents themselves are to blame: intensive parenting styles and a social media-fueled “culture of comparison.”
Yes, it’s true that intensive parenting and a culture of comparison feed parental stress. But they are not the root cause.
The root cause is that public support systems such as paid family leave, accessible and affordable child care and reliable school transportation are lacking – or in many cases, nonexistent.
step 2: focus on systems, not individuals
That’s why our job as communicators is to keep the focus on the systems, not the individuals, when we communicate about parents and caregivers.
You can do this by:
Understanding the history behind why the system is the way it is.
Naming that the system is broken, not the individual.
All parents want to be “good parents.” But some parents are more impacted by systems more than others.
Clearly showing your audiences the action steps they can take to change the system. When people think a problem is too big, they are more likely to decide they can’t do anything to change it.
Your job is to lay out specific, actionable steps your audiences can take, such as “ask your legislator to increase funding for child care subsidies by $5 million over five years by using this email template.”
For example, the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation’s Family Forward NC – an initiative focused on improving workplaces for families (and one of our favorite partners!) – focuses almost entirely on systems and their impact on parents. NCECF also offers concrete steps employers can take to revise (or add) family friendly practices like paid parental leave or child care supports.
step 3: keep it simple
Parents and caregivers are supremely burned out. When people are burned out, they are less engaged. They are also more likely to:
make mistakes,
miscommunicate,
have trouble concentrating, and
forget information.
When you communicate to parents and caregivers, you have to keep it simple. We’ve got the tools to help you simplify your messaging (and we’re also happy to create messaging for you). You can:
Check out our three step logic chain exercise to ensure people understand your mission and work.
Download our free guide to simplifying your messaging.
Use these tips from my colleague (and fellow mama) Lauren to press the easy button for parents in your communications work.
We’re all working toward a better world for children and families. It’s time to make sure your communications strategy helps you meet your mission.
P.S. Want to make sure your communications has a strong focus on systems (and is clearly explaining how systems impact people)? We can conduct an audit of your communications materials to help you see what’s working in your strategy and what you may need to adjust.
