Organized Working Parents Day to Celebrate and win over weight of guilt
Most children exhibit anxiety when they leave for camp or begin schooling. Parents often feel the same when they start working leaving the physical care at home. The separation anxiety eventually makes parents feel the “guilt of carelessness.” The recent survey released by Primrose Schools on Sept 16, finds- U.S. parents struggle under the weight of guilt, a lack of patience with their children. Unfortunately, the guilt tops their list of regrets. As the national high-quality early education and care provider, Primrose Schools unveiled the results as part of a month-long initiative leading up to Working Parents Day (Sept. 16) encouraging parents to recognize they are not alone and let guilt go.
By turning the guilt(s) into a beautiful masterpiece, the artists on the occasion created an installation (origami) to serve as a reminder for parents that there is no such thing as a perfect parent, and that’s perfectly okay.
Working parents are surviving the feel of guilt
Of over 1,300 parents surveyed nationwide, Primrose uncovered the following findings:
- 31% cited a lack of patience as their top guilt-including 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%
Surveyed over 400 Primrose schools across the country, the Franchise Owners, leadership teams and teachers are witnessing parent guilt and feeling inadequacy daily.
In priority of 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 country the opportunity to participate.
Primrose Schools CEO, Jo Kirchner, addressing Primrose officials, said, “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.”
Jo Kirchner spent her career trying to alleviate guilt for working parents by building a system of schools that provide exceptional, high-quality early education and care. Her brand’s belief is that partnering with Primrose, parents have peace of mind that their child is getting the best start possible.
Origami solution to encourage parents
In the brand’s hometown of Atlanta, thousands of parents from Primrose schools contributed in a more tangible way by writing down what they feel guilt about. With the 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.
To further spread the message of “let guilt go,” Primrose schools across the country planned Working Parents Day celebrations in their 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 readers to celebrate the working parents in their life by providing them with the opportunity to ‘let guilt go’ they fell via LetGuiltGo.com and share an inspiring video alongside hashtag #LetGuiltGo.
