The Smart Parenting Pulse Survey: Parents Share Their New Normal

In our “love letter” last December 2020, we said families will continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 on their livelihood, children’s education, and health in the new year.

The collective mood at the time was optimistic, but the feeling of dread was not far behind. We were already hearing of the news of COVID variants.

Nine months later, the hyper-contagious Delta variant has pushed the number of daily COVID cases to new records. It’s the reality we hoped we didn’t have to face when we greeted 2021.

That's why it's no surprise that in the Smart Parenting Pulse: 2021 Audience Survey, about 40% of the 2,800 respondents have money and health on top of their list of worries.

A parent has always been a cautious spender, but the threat of the pandemic to jobs is driving many to think of other ways to augment their income.

Our survey’s results show 52% don’t have enough left to set aside even for an emergency fund. While a huge chunk of expenses goes to food, utilities, education, and rent or mortgage, almost half say they are paying off debts.

That said, parents are looking for more job flexibility, especially those who have experienced work-at-home setups. Our survey shows parents are not willing to give up the WFH benefits when it came to quality time with the family. At least 33% have done or are interested in online selling while 53% now prefer to do freelance work.

Work flexibility is a big draw for parents because they have essentially become their child’s teacher.

The value of education will never diminish among Filipino parents, but life skills and building character score higher than intelligence.

But as exhausted as they were last year, as ridden with doubts about their capability to teach, moms and dads never gave up, whether it was distance learning or homeschooling. Almost half of the respondents say they enrolled their kids in either public or private schools.

To raise their kids in these uncertain times, moms and dads have had to draw on their inner reserves of grit and optimism like never before. It is NOT easy, and it's no surprise why emotional and mental health for the whole family has been on their minds.

Every parent is united in his and her desire to raise kids who are not just kind and resilient but have a strong moral compass. Moms and dads will never waver in this commitment. They will always rise to the occasion of creating a bright future for their little ones.