When was it harder being a parent, today or back then?

A simple question yet so much to think about. When was it harder being a parent? Today you have so much technology right down to baby monitors that you can even check from your laptop while at work and medical devices to prevent SIDS that a baby wears on their foot and reports right to your smartphone. Yet today you have the burden of knowing what we didn't know 'back then'. Knowing every single milestone they should be hitting and knowing every scary thing it could possibly mean if they're not. A burden but also a blessing.

I feel like the pressure parents of little ones are under today is staggering. Parents 20 or 30 years ago were blissfully ignorant of so many things that could be pointing out doom. I know a family who's son was simply thought of as a little quirky but today would have been a child most definitely somewhere on the spectrum. Yet that son is now in his early 30's, exceedingly smart, and while a bit odd is getting along just fine and earning more than most of us. Now in no way am I suggesting turning a blind eye to things like early warning signs. The value of services like Early Intervention can be lifesavers or at least life changers. All I'm saying is the pressure parents are under today in so many different ways is a game changer.

Another example of this is the Star Ledger editorial just out on co-sleeping. There was a time parents would have thought nothing of sharing their bed with a baby. Now we know a couple dozen babies die this way every year in New Jersey. Parents 'back then' were allowed to do things that today are unthinkable. Was it a good thing? No. But it was a time when parents could experience the true joy of children without the constant self-doubt and worry. Today is different.

In my opinion, the best answer to the question is that it's much harder being a parent today, but children are much better off for it. What do you think? Take the poll below.

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