We’re often told parenting is one of the most rewarding things we’ll ever do. But as many parents will attest, it is also full of very difficult moments. And sometimes these moments seem almost constant.

While it can feel taboo to say it out loud (“I’m not enjoying being a parent”), a glance at online parenting forums will show you, parents can feel it at many different times in their child’s lives. From the sleeplessness of newborns, to toddler tantrums, disobedient kids and grumpy teens.

What does the research say about this? And what can you do when you’re finding it really tough?

How common is this feeling?

Feeling stretched is a normal part of raising children. Many parents report finding parenting harder than they had imagined, with some not enjoying parts, or even all, of the parenting journey.

Research indicates roughly 5-14% of parents regret they had children, with up to 29% reporting they regret parenthood sometimes.

Much of this feeling appears to come down to regretting the circumstances around having children, such as making sacrifices, choice of partner, or the number of children. It is not necessarily about regretting the child themselves.

Stress and exhaustion are extremely common experiences for parents. A 2025 survey of 10,000 Australian parents of children aged 0-18 years found almost half reported tiredness got in the way of them being the parent they wanted to be.

These feelings can be heightened during different stages of parenting. For example, two thirds of Australian mothers report experiencing high levels of fatigue during the early parenting period, and research suggests that fatigue is also common among fathers during this time.

Higher rates of stress are also reported among parents of children........

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