ATLANTA, Sept. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As U.S. parents struggle under the weight of guilt, a lack of patience with their children tops their list of regrets, according to survey findings released today by Primrose Schools. The national high-quality early education and care provider unveiled the results as part of a monthlong initiative leading up to Working Parents Day (Sept. 16) encouraging parents to recognize they are not alone and let guilt go.
Primrose Schools shared this inspiring message with working parents across the country encouraging them to let guilt go.
Parents experience guilt an average of 23 times per week. Primrose Schools set out to give them the reassurance they need - that they’re doing a great job and they’re not alone.
Primrose Schools transformed 6,000 handwritten guilts from parents into a hanging art installation in their Atlanta headquarters building.
Inspired by the practice of mindfulness and a cathartic release of emotions, Primrose Schools created opportunity for parents to confidentially write down and release the guilt weighing them down.
By turning the guilts into a beautiful masterpiece, the artists created an installation to serve as a reminder for parents that there is no such thing as a perfect parent, and that’s perfectly okay.
Of the over 1,300 parents surveyed nationwide, Primrose uncovered the following findings:
31% cited a lack of patience as their top guilt-inducing regret
"Not spending enough quality time with my kids" followed closely behind at 26%
"Working too much" rounded out the top three sources of guilt at 15%
"With more than 400 Primrose schools across the country, our Franchise Owners, leadership teams and teachers witness parent guilt and feelings of inadequacy on a daily basis," said Primrose Schools CEO, Jo Kirchner. "They also see children who are deeply and positively impacted by the influence of loving, hardworking parents. What these parents often don't realize is that if they're doing the best they can, their best is more than enough."
Leading up to Working Parents Day and inspired by the practice of mindfulness and a cathartic release of negative emotions, Primrose Schools encouraged parents across the country to confidentially submit and release the guilt weighing them down. LetGuiltGo.com was launched to give all parents across the county the opportunity to participate.
Thousands of parents from Primrose schools in the brand's hometown of Atlanta contributed in a more tangible way by writing down what they feel guilty about. With the help of Brutal Studio, an experiential design and installation studio, these 6,000 handwritten notes were then folded into origami and transformed into a crowdsourced art installation.
"As a working mother who struggled with guilt, this initiative - and the movement we hope it inspires - is a dream come true," said Kirchner. "I've spent my career trying to alleviate guilt for working parents by building a system of schools that provide exceptional, high-quality early education and care. Our belief is that by partnering with Primrose, parents have peace of mind that their child is getting the best start possible."
To further spread the message of "let guilt go," Primrose schools across the country planned Working Parents Day celebrations in their own communities. From surprise breakfasts to handmade cards and memorable video messages, school locations will provide parents the encouragement they deserve on their day of recognition.
Primrose invites you to celebrate the working parents in your life by providing them with the opportunity to let go of the guilt they feel via LetGuiltGo.com and share an inspiring video alongside hashtag #LetGuiltGo. To learn more about combating parent guilt, visit the Primrose Pointers for Parents blog.
Methodology Primrose Schools conducted an online survey at LetGuiltGo.com among a nationally representative sample of 1,323 parents across the U.S.
About Primrose Schools® Primrose Schools is the leader in providing premier early education and care to children and families in the United States. Founded in 1982, there are more than 400 Primrose schools in 29 states today. Each school is independently owned and operated by Franchise Owners who work together with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life. Primrose believes who children become is as important as what they know. The Primrose-exclusive Balanced Learning® approach is created from the best early education wisdom and balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, explore our blog, sign up for our Pointers for Parents emails and find a Primrose school near you.
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