The best and worst things about being a parent today

I was recently at a friends house whilst she and her mother were talking about who had it easier as a mum. My friend was convinced that it's harder today than it was back when her own mother was raising her. The mother obviously didn't agree saying that the standards of life were so much better now and more help was available for mothers now days.

This conversation got me thinking. Which one is right? I found a great article on http://www.babycenter.com that I think covers the topic very well:

The best and worst things about being a mom today
by Heather Boerner

What a wonderful time to be a mom: We have vaccines to protect our kids against terrible diseases. Disposable diapers. Dozens of jogging strollers to choose from. Work we love — outside the home or not. An entire shelf of parenting books. Partners who cook, clean, and watch the kids. And mom friends who are just a text message, e-mail, or phone call away.

But flip that coin, and life doesn't look so rosy. There's controversy about vaccines. Guilt over all the disposable diapers we send to landfills. Way too many choices in what to buy and how to parent. The need to work more hours than we'd like. And all the time, the world's moving faster, the media messages are getting louder, and the pressure is increasing.

To get a better sense of whether it's the best of times for moms or the worst, we asked the experts — more than 2,400 of you — what modern motherhood is really like. Read on for an intimate look at what's real and relevant for moms now. You can also check out the detailed results of our exclusive survey and share your take on being a mom today.
Good, bad, or just different?

Your grandma had no cell phone, your mother no online shopping, but despite these modern conveniences — and all the medical, technological, and cultural advances over the past two generations — about half of you think being a mom is more difficult today than it was back then. Do you agree?
53% think your mom had it easier
When comparing motherhood now to when our moms raised young kids, 53 percent of you said the previous generation had it easier. And 47 percent also said Grandma had an easier time being a mom — despite doing it without cable TV, microwave ovens, and readily available epidurals.

For many moms we asked, the ease of modern-day life doesn't compensate for the lack of friendliness and safety we feel. Some pined for the "good old days," a golden time when children played safely together on the block while moms chatted over coffee.

Whether those times of close-knit communities are real or imagined, we've definitely got Leave It to Beaver on our minds. "People stayed home more, so it was easier to make friends with other moms and children," said one mom. "Neighborhoods were more like one big, happy family."

"Moms today have too many choices"
But there's more to our affection for the past than simple nostalgia. Many moms said they long for a simpler era, one that came with clearer rules and expectations and shared values. As one mom put it, "Moms today have it harder than our moms or grandmothers because we have too many choices and worry too much about what others think about our style of parenting."

Of course, whether it was easier or harder for our moms and grandmothers may be begging the question. Motherhood is always throwing up strange days and tough questions, as well as many unique joys. One of the moms surveyed may have said it best: "The problems were very different for all three generations — but equally scary."

You can read the rest of the article here

What are the best and worst things about being a parent today? Do you think your parents had it easier? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.