Summary of Issue
- Social Isolation: The demands of motherhood can limit time for personal social interactions.
- Loneliness: The emotional and physical challenges of parenting often lead to feelings of loneliness.
- Disconnection: Balancing parenting with other responsibilities can hinder maintaining social relationships.
Introduction
Motherhood and parenting, while immensely rewarding, can also lead to significant social isolation, loneliness, and disconnection. The demands of caring for children, coupled with societal expectations, can affect mothers’ personal and social lives, making it essential to understand these challenges and find ways to address them.
Why the Barrier Exists
Several factors contribute to the social disconnection experienced by new mothers:
- Time Constraints: Parenting requires significant time and energy, leaving little room for social engagements.
- Emotional Burden: The stress and emotional toll of parenting can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Physical Exhaustion: The physical demands of caring for children can limit the energy available for maintaining social connections.
- Lack of Support: Many parents lack adequate support and resources, exacerbating feelings of isolation.
Stat from the journal Systematic Reviews in 2022: Loneliness among pregnant women and mothers in general ranged from 32 to 42%. Additionally, when parents had a child with a mental or physical health risk, this proportion increased to 70%. (Kent-Maverick et al., 2022)
Recommended Solutions
To reduce the negative impact of parenting on social connections, consider these strategies:
- Join Parenting Groups: Participate in local or online parenting groups to share experiences and build a sense of community.
- Utilize Childcare Services: Take advantage of childcare services to allow for breaks and personal time.
- Engage in Family Activities: Participate in activities that involve both parents and children to foster social interactions.
- Seek Professional Support: Access counseling or support groups to address the emotional challenges of parenthood.
- Promote Flexible Work Options: Advocate for flexible work arrangements to balance parenting and social life.
By joining parenting groups, utilizing childcare services, engaging in family activities, seeking professional support, and promoting flexible work options, parents can reduce isolation and build stronger, more meaningful connections.
Expert Insight
“Across the literature, mothers frequently described motherhood as imbued with loneliness, lacking social support, and, sometimes, unsatisfactory with respect to their partners’ or families’ contributions to parenting. Often-cited root causes of maternal loneliness were: a lack of recognition for the difficulties of being a mother; a lack of empathy from relations; childcare burden; deficient social networks; longing for friendships based on shared experience; and discrepancies between expectations and the realities of motherhood” (Kent-Maverick, Simonsen, Pentecost, Taylor &McFarland, 2022).
Community Resources/Solutions
To help manage the impact of motherhood on social connections, various organizations and groups provide support and resources for mothers:
- La Leche League Canada
- Description: Supports breastfeeding through peer support, encouragement, and information.
- How it Helps: Offers local group meetings, online support, and resources for new mothers/parents.
- Contact Information: Email: office@LLLC.ca
- Postpartum Support International (PSI)
- Description: Provides support and resources for postpartum mental health for mothers and fathers.
- How it Helps: Offers helpline, online support groups, and resources for new parents.
- Contact Information: Help Line: 1-800-944-4773
- Mothers Matter Centre
- Description: Supports vulnerable mothers and their families in Canada.
- How it Helps: Provides programs, resources, and advocacy for mothers.
- Contact Information: Email: info@mothersmatter.ca
- GenWell
- Description: Is Canada’s Human Connection Movement and is working to educate, empower and catalyze Canadians around the importance of their social health.
- How it Helps: They provide tips, tools, resources and campaigns that can inspire social connection for all Canadians
- Contact Information: Visit website at www.GenWell.ca for more information.
- Meetup
- Description: A platform for finding and building local communities, connecting people with similar interests.
- How it Helps: Encourages participation in local social groups and events to reduce isolation.
- Contact Information: Visit website for local group details.
Further Reading
- “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Post-Partum Depression published by the Canadian Psychological Association.
- “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Parenting Challenges published by the Canadian Psychological Association.
Loneliness in pregnant and postpartum people and parents of children aged 5 years or younger: a scoping review, published in Systematic Reviews.