Let’s talk: Is parenting easier or harder these days?

Parenting is a hard gig. We know – we’ve been there, done that.

In the 60s and 70s it was very much a team effort. With close family ties, taking kids to playgroup and the like, we had our very own community of helpers. 

In modern times where mothers are often working as well as raising the children times sure have changed.

One mother of two young boys, aged two and three, says the only thing that gets her through is have nannies. Four of them. The New York mum has a weekday nanny that will collect them from daycare and take them to the playground, feeds them dinner and then puts them to bed. She has a Saturday nanny and a Sunday nanny, and there’s one on call for when the others aren’t available.

The 37-year-old single mum says she doesn’t have the mental capacity to spend time with the kids all day after working all week, reports New York Post.

“I love my children, but I’m not embarrassed to say the nannies are not just to provide child care when I’m at work — they provide mental rest for me [when I am at home] as well,” she said.

She’s not alone. Nanny agencies say families are spending big bucks to have more than one nanny.

It’s not even working mothers who have them. Another mum, with a three year old and another just 10 months, revealed to the Post that even though she doesn’t work nine to five she’s busy running a household, social media and is very involved in charities. She has two nannies so they can share the load between them and neither will get burnt out. 

But lets go back to the earlier years of parenting. 

In the 50s men did little around the house, so it was all up to the women. There were no disposable nappies, no microwave meals, no internet to search when you wondered if you were doing the right thing when it came to your kids. You were lucky if you had a washing machine. It also wasn’t unheard of to have some home help either, be it a gardener, maid or nanny.

In the 60s women were out and about more, driving cars and being more independent, and maybe had a few more modern conveniences, but there were still less distractions than current times. Perhaps there was also less of the expectation on both kids and parents to be playing with the latest, wearing the coolest and being the best. What do you think?

Which decade of parent had it easiest, in your opinion?