New research has found that one in 10 parents say they have no support network, with modern parents struggling to build a 'village' around them. The study by Vitabiotics Pregnacare highlights reasons including demanding work lives, not living near family, fear of asking for help, and a lack of tight-knit local communities.
Single parent and journalist writes that while she has a core group of mum friends, she lacks wider family support due to estrangement and distance. She notes that even married friends experience burnout or disagree with family on parenting styles, limiting support.
Experts often advise exhausted parents to try harder at building a village, including through online groups. However, the author argues this advice can feel like pressure, adding to the burden of juggling work, childcare, and the cost of living crisis.
Clinical psychologist Dr Tara Porter says that while digital villages offer 24/7 access to friends and information, they can fuel feelings of inadequacy and unhealthy comparison. She warns that social media reels on parenting can cause caregivers to lose their own intuition.
Dr Charlotte Faircloth, professor at UCL, says that telling parents to build a village puts the problem back on them when it is a structural issue. She notes that society is structured in a way that makes it difficult for parents to find support.
