Overwhelmed By Parenting? You've Got Plenty Of Company

MONDAY, Oct. 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Feeling overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of parenting? You're not alone.

A new nationwide survey from Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago finds 6 in 10 parents experience sensory overload.

The survey of 1,000 U.S. parents found overstimulation happened most often at home, but also in stores and in the car.

The biggest triggers? Children arguing or whining, siblings fighting, loud noise, constant talking and clutter.

Parents with younger kids were especially affected. In all, 70% of parents with a child under 5 reported overstimulation, compared to 56% of parents with older children.

"Although parental overstimulation can feel like a purely personal struggle, our results show that it is a very common experience for parents in the U.S.," said researcher Marie Heffernan, director of Voices of Child Health at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Lurie Children’s. She’s also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University of Feinberg School of Medicine.

The hospital encourages parents to seek support when feeling overwhelmed and offers resources focused on coping with parenting challenges and building resilience.

Those resources include:

• Importance of Self-Care: Why Parents Need Time Out to Recharge

• The "Perfect" Parent Myth

• Three Tips to Create a Resilient Mindset

• 6 Strategies for Highly Sensitive Parents Feeling Overstimulated

• The Care Gap Instagram

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on sensory overload.

SOURCE: HealthDay TV, Oct. 26, 2026