Why Parents Are Craving Community More Than Ever
Over 70% of mothers report feeling burned out at least once a week, according to recent data from the American Psychological Association. Not monthly. Not occasionally. Weekly.
If you're a parent reading this and thinking "only 70%?" you're not alone. The parental burnout crisis has reached bubbling point and it's not because this generation is doing it wrong. It's because we're trying to do it completely alone.
The loneliness parents describe isn't about physical isolation. It's about the absence of genuine connection. It's spending entire days having conversations about snack preferences and potty training, then realizing you haven't had a single meaningful adult interaction. It's being surrounded by people at soft play yet feeling like you're on a different planet from everyone else.
The "Having It All" Myth Is Breaking Us
According to University of Phoenix research, 49% of mid- to high-income working mothers experience burnout at work - higher than the average employee burnout rate of 40%. We're told we can have it all: thriving career, present parenting, self-care routine, maintained friendships, Pinterest-worthy home life. The reality is we're running on fumes trying to keep all these plates spinning.
Motherly's data shows that just over 70% of working parents are considering altering their work schedule, changing jobs, or leaving employment entirely. That's not because they don't want to work. It's because the system is fundamentally unsustainable
Social Media Has Made Things Worse
Over 60% of mothers report feeling guilty or inadequate daily, and social media's highlight reel culture is a significant driver. Instagram mothers with capsule wardrobes and perfectly styled nurseries. TikTok gentle-parenting scripts for every scenario. Pinterest sensory bins that would make Maria Montessori weep with joy.
This constant exposure to perfect (but impossible, of course) parenting creates baseline anxiety that you're not doing enough, buying enough, being enough. The "supermum" myth tells us we should work like we don't have children and parent like we don't have jobs. When we inevitably fall short, we don't blame the impossible standard - we blame ourselves.
Traditional Baby Groups Aren't Solving It
With parental loneliness at crisis levels, you'd think baby groups would be the solution. Worthing and Brighton have lots of options: free church hall drop-ins, sensory classes, baby signing, music sessions.
Yet parents are still lonely. Why?
Because most baby groups are designed for babies, not parents. The entire focus is on child development - helping your little one hit milestones, learn to socialise, develop motor skills. And while that's valuable, it’s not entirely necessary - and it does nothing to address maternal loneliness.
Parents leave feeling more depleted than when they arrived. They’ve been around people, yes. But they haven't been seen. Haven’t had space to be themselves. Or had the kind of vulnerable, real conversation that actually combats loneliness.
What Parents Actually Need
Real Connection, Not Just Proximity
Being in the same room as other parents isn't community. Community happens when you can say "this is really hard" and hear "me too". It happens when conversations go deeper than developmental milestones. When you're seen as a whole person, not just someone's mum.
What Honey House’s Community-First Parenting Actually Looks Like
Our baby group revolution happening in pockets across Worthing, Brighton, and Sussex isn't about better baby activities. It's about fundamentally rethinking what parent support should look like.
Instead of sessions packed with 25 parents where you never see the same faces twice, imagine smaller groups where genuine relationships can form. Where "how are you really doing?" is the starting question, not an afterthought.
The Path Forward
If you're reading this and feeling the weight of recognition—yes, this is me; yes, I'm burning out; yes, I'm desperately lonely despite being surrounded by people—here's what you need to know:
You're not imagining it. The statistics prove it: modern parenting is structurally unsustainable, and the loneliness you're experiencing is real, widespread, and not your fault.
Traditional baby groups might not be enough. If you're attending sessions and leaving feeling more depleted, that's data. You might need something different—spaces designed for parent wellbeing, not just child entertainment.
Community is medicine. Not surface-level playdate community, but the kind where you can be honest about how hard this is. Where other parents respond with "same" instead of judgment. Where you're valued as a person, not just assessed as a parent.
You deserve spaces that feel good. Environments matter. If every parent space you enter feels chaotic and draining, you're not being precious—you're recognizing that your nervous system matters and that sustainable parenting requires environments that restore rather than deplete.
The parental burnout crisis won't be solved by individual parents trying harder. It will be solved by rebuilding the village—creating genuine communities where parents support each other, share the load, admit the hard parts, and prioritize wellbeing alongside development.
Ready to find your parent community in Worthing or Brighton?
Honey House offers weekly meet-ups designed for parent wellbeing, not just baby activities. View our timetable and join us for your first session.