New Research Shows Confidence and Kindness Matter More to Parents Than Grades and Credentials-- So Why Can't They Find Activities That Help Kids Grow?

Unleashed Brands' Beyond the Report Card survey reveals a growing enrichment gap – and appoints Dr. Michele Borba as Chief Thriving Officer to help close it.

DALLAS, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents are redefining success for their kids. According to new research from Unleashed Brands confidence, kindness and resilience now matter more to families than traditional measures of achievement, but most parents say it's still difficult to find activities that intentionally build those qualities.

To put science behind the solution, Unleashed Brands has appointed world renowned educational psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Michele Borba as its first-ever Chief Thriving Officer. The youth enrichment platform serves more than 20 million kids — from four months through high school — across 1,400 locations through brands including The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning, and Urban Air Adventure Park. Dr. Borba's job, grounded in decades of research and bestselling books on child development, is to advise on programming, coach the mentors who work with kids every day and give parents the science-backed guidance they need to find enrichment activities that actually work.

Her appointment comes at a time when many families feel increasing pressure to "get parenting right." As summer begins and school-year structure fades, parents are left searching for activities that do more than simply keep kids occupied.

WHAT THE "BEYOND THE REPORT CARD" SURVEY SHOWS

• The numbers tell a story parents feel every day. Nearly 4 in 5 (79%) say parenting feels like a lot of pressure to get right – and more than half (52%) worry they're not doing enough to prepare their child for life. That pressure has a backdrop: childhood anxiety has risen nearly 50% since 2016.*

• When asked what they want most for their kids, parents chose enrichment and building life skills over credentials by nearly 2-to-1 – confidence (24%) and kindness (18%) over academic achievement (13%) or physical activity (6%). Enrichment development is now the #1 factor in how parents choose activities (59%), followed closely by teaching kids how to handle adversity and bounce back (54%).

• And yet: three in four parents (75%) say it's easier to find activities that keep kids busy than ones that actually help them grow. One in three say their child's current activities feel like they're simply filling time.

Unleashed Brands refers to that disconnect as the "enrichment gap;" the growing divide between what families want most for their children and what many youth activities are currently designed to deliver. And most families are navigating it alone. To help close the gap, Dr. Borba, whose research on resilience and character development in children spans decades, joins at a moment when the science and the need are finally aligned.

"Character isn't built by protecting kids from difficulty — it's built by letting them learn the noncognitive skills to thrive. The best programs create those moments, and that's exactly what Unleashed Brands does," said Dr. Michele Borba. "From The Little Gym's science-backed gymnastics programs to Sylvan Learning's fifty years of building academic confidence in kids around the world, it gives families one trusted place where kids feel challenged, supported, and capable of more than they thought."

Every child has a different spark. When they find the right environment, belief in themselves follows. And the multiplier effect is real: confidence built in one domain carries into the next, compounding across challenges and across life. Unleashed Brands exists to find that spark – and give it room to grow.

"We've always believed the goal isn't just raising successful kids. It's raising life ready kids," said Michael Browning, Jr., Founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands. "Parents are telling us they want more than activities that simply fill time. They want experiences that help their children build confidence, resilience, character and the life skills they'll carry with them long after childhood. That's exactly what our brands are designed to do, and we're proud to have Dr. Borba helping lead that work."

¹Heffernan M, et al. "Trends in Anxiety and Depression Among U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2016–2022." JAMA Pediatrics. Published April 21, 2025.

*Survey Methodology: Results are based on an online survey of 1,001 U.S. parents of children aged 3–15 by Dynata from 4/27/26–5/1/26. The sample is nationally representative, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

ABOUT UNLEASHED BRANDS
Unleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning, Snapology, Class 101, Premier Martial Arts, and Water Wings Swim School. The platform was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable franchise brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every child by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them reach their full potential. For more information, visit UnleashedBrands.com.

Media Contact: Golin Agency [email protected]

SOURCE Unleashed Brands