Emma Grede on Motherhood: Lower Parenting Expectations, Not Ambitions

In a world where parents are expected to juggle careers, relationships and raising children, the US Surgeon General recently issued a warning about the toll modern parenting can take on mental health. The report highlighted dangerous levels of stress among mothers and fathers, who are often pushed to meet unrealistic standards. These stressors are compounded by societal pressures to “have it all,” leaving many parents feeling overwhelmed and burned out.

Good American CEO Emma Grede is no stranger to these pressures. In a recent conversation, she opened up about her own experience as a mother of four and the impossible expectations placed on parents today.

“The U.S. surgeon general has warned that parenting can negatively impact mental health because mothers and fathers are experiencing dangerously high levels of stress,” she captioned a clip from her conversation with Jay Shetty. “I feel like this is something I’ve been talking about for a long time I think modern parenting has gone wild! Our kids don’t need nearly as much of anything as society would have us believe,” she added.

“For me as a working mother of four, I refuse to accept so much pressure and I could talk about this subject for days but we could start by just lowering the expectation on ourselves.”

In the comments, parents chimed in that the spirit of having to have it all and be everything to everyone all the time can feel really exhausting and unsustainable. “Preach! The pressure to do it all is too much. We have to be willing to hire help. Delegate at home. Just like we do at work,” wrote one mom.

“I truly believe we need to stop pushing the narrative that “you can have it all”. It’s causing women/mothers immense distress and anxiety. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to choose between parenting and my career! let’s be honest about the struggle and let’s create workplaces and a society where it’s OK to ask for help,” added another.

Grede added in the video that just because mothers might be lowering their expectations and being honest with themselves about what they are capable of, that doesn’t mean that they have to let go of their dreams. “You do what you do to get through the day and we should all just lower expectation levels a little bit. That isn’t to say lower your ambition level. That’s just to say don’t feel bad about what you are doing. At the end of it, we all do as much as we can, and our kids will all be alright.”