Families are balancing more than ever

Press release: De eerste Nederlandse Staat van het Gezin

The Hague, October 11.

The first Dutch State of the Family shows that families are performing a balancing act like never before. 89% of families find the Netherlands a pleasant country to live in, according to research by Voor Werkende Ouders (For Working Parents), the Dutch Center for Youth Health, and media platform WIJ. And yet, the State of the Family shows that life for parents who combine work, family, and caregiving isn’t always easy. Especially not now.

How are the 2.6 million Dutch families doing?
The three organizations conducted a survey among parents earlier this year,. By far the biggest challenge (90%!) for families is balancing work and family. Other major challenges parents experience include time for themselves (50%) and each other (45%), rising inflation and energy prices (57%), and a lack of energy and sleep (43%).

“We really have to make ends meet. I’ve started working more, but that doesn’t bring in much extra income. Everything causes a lot of stress and tension at home. The children notice that too. I feel very guilty about it.” Karen, mother of 2 children.

The fact that this is difficult for them is evident from the fact that 72% of parents feel tired or exhausted at the end of the day. 66% of parents sometimes feel insecure about their own approach to parenting, and 55% would like to do better. However, improving doesn’t happen automatically. The main reasons for not succeeding are a lack of time and/or money, and fatigue.

“There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. I seriously underestimated the fatigue beforehand. It also means that sometimes you don’t make good choices and sometimes you can’t think straight, which means things go wrong or could have been done much better.” Nick, father of 3 children.

Regarding facilities, 52% of parents in the Netherlands think they are inadequate or at least could do better. About 33% of parents say they’ve recently worried about their children’s upbringing or development. Parents feel they’re on their own, and a staggering 79% feel that parenting is not being addressed in politics.

“I don’t feel like they’re thinking about parents and children in The Hague. Even though I do think it would help me and my children enormously. Just a little support makes a huge difference. But it’s not just the government that can help. Everyone can do something.” Achmed, father of 4 children.

The world turned upside down
In the meantime, the world has been turned upside down, according to the three organizations. The pressure is now greater than ever. Parents are worried about their livelihoods and their own future, but especially that of their children. Can we still pay the bills? How do I stay afloat? Can the children still take swimming lessons? The organizations therefore advocate for a new social contract. How can we provide much better support to all families? It’s about time for a committed and comprehensive family policy.

With this urgent appeal, Voor Werkende Ouders (For Working Parents), the Dutch Centre for Youth Health, and media platform WIJ presented de eerste Nederlandse Staat van het Gezin to Minister Van Gennip of Social Affairs and Employment.

The first Nederlandse Staat van het Gezin
In the study, the three organizations examined already known figures related to families, from poverty, childcare, and educational achievement to alcohol consumption among young people and parental burnout rates. In addition, a comprehensive questionnaire was distributed to parents. The combination of these figures provides insight into how Dutch families are doing, the challenges they face, and offers solutions. The first Nederlandse Staat van het Gezin can be read in its entirety here.  The study will be conducted annually from now on.