Parents today love to ask: “Was it always this hard?” Short answer: no, you’re not imagining things. Long answer: modern parenting is basically Olympic-level mental gymnastics.

Let’s start with the obvious: parental stress is sky-high. A recent Pew survey found 66% of parents say parenting is harder now than it was 20 years ago (Pew Research Center, 2023). Why? Technology, social media, school pressures, safety fears — take your pick.

Truth #1: Burnout isn’t “just being tired”

It’s emotional, physical, mental — a full system overload. It shows up as exhaustion, guilt, and feeling disconnected.

Micro Action: Pause mid-day (yes, even for 2 minutes). Close your eyes. Breathe. Tell your brain: “I’m still here.”

Let’s be honest — sleep is the first thing to go when life gets busy. You’ve got school, sports, jobs, group chats, TikTok, Snap streaks, and maybe a parent yelling about cleaning your room. Somewhere in there, you’re supposed to “rest.” Right. The only real “me time” comes at 1 a.m., when you’re tucked under the covers and whispering sweet nothings to your For You Page. That’s not self-care; that’s what TikTok has dubbed revenge bedtime procrastination — staying up late on purpose because you feel like the rest of your day doesn’t belong to you.

Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: not everything that looks like ADHD is ADHD. I know, wild concept. But I’m seeing way too many kids in my office whose “symptoms” aren’t about brain chemistry — they’re about screen time. Yep. The glowing rectangles are wreaking havoc on your kid’s attention span, memory, emotional regulation, and yes — even their behavior.