Laura Trevelyan

American parents face unusually high financial and social pressures, including costly childcare, healthcare, education and extracurricular activities, alongside intense competition for elite colleges and well-paid careers. Rising prices, poverty and inadequate access to healthcare leave many families borrowing to meet basic needs, while smartphones, social media and AI create further anxiety about children’s mental health and learning. The result is a high-stakes, competitive parenting culture that contrasts with the author’s experience of a more collaborative approach in Britain.