All families face challenges. 

Parenting is hard. Babies cry. Toddlers tantrum. Grade schoolers dawdle and talk back. Teens rebel. Even the most patient parent can be pushed to the brink.

The stress of parenting multiplies when parents are isolated, live in fear of violence, never have enough money, or have no one to call on when needing support.

Isolation is a leading factor in child abuse.

Most vulnerable to this isolation are those who have experienced abusive or neglectful childhoods. Harsh punishment, low empathy, and unrealistic expectations of children are passed on from one generation to the next. It’s a cycle. We parent the way we were parented, unless we learn a different way through education, empathic role models, and the support of a caring social network.

"When my child was born, I was stunned at how much love I could have for this little being I had just met. I was also exhausted. There were many times I felt alone, incapable, like a failure."

—Betsy, a new parent