#Childcare

A pervasive Thai dream of “having it all” places enormous pressure on working mothers. The ideal suggests women can seamlessly blend demanding careers, intense parenting, flawless housework, and constant emotional availability. International research shows this perfectionist standard is misleading and harmful, setting women up for stress and disappointment rather than spurring real social change.

New studies reveal the hidden burdens of household and cognitive labor on mothers’ mental health, career progress, and family harmony. When women strive to meet these standards, they report higher chronic stress, burnout, and slower career growth. Inflexible workplaces and gaps in policy fail to support families facing competing demands.

Thai working mothers face mounting pressure from the culturally pervasive “having it all” ideal — the expectation that women seamlessly combine uninterrupted career advancement, intensive hands-on parenting, flawless household management, and constant emotional availability to family members. Leading international research reveals this perfectionist benchmark as fundamentally misleading and psychologically harmful, creating unrealistic expectations that set individual women up for failure rather than prompting necessary social and institutional changes.

Comprehensive new studies document the devastating impact of invisible household and cognitive labor burdens on maternal mental health, career trajectories, and family wellbeing. Women who attempt to meet “having it all” standards experience significantly elevated rates of chronic stress, occupational burnout, and career stagnation, while policy gaps and inflexible workplace norms provide inadequate support for managing competing demands.

A growing body of research and commentary argues that the cultural ideal of “having it all” — combining an uninterrupted career, hands-on parenting, flawless household management and emotional availability — is a misleading and harmful benchmark for many women. New studies tie the burden of invisible household and cognitive labour to higher rates of stress, burnout and stalled careers for mothers, while policy gaps and workplace norms leave many without realistic supports. For Thai families navigating strong family expectations and evolving labour patterns, the evidence suggests pragmatic policy and workplace changes, not perfectionist ideals, will deliver better outcomes for women, children and the economy (WSJ opinion ; systematic review of mental labour ; cognitive household labour study).

As economic pressures mount and the cracks in formal childcare systems widen, a new wave of research and firsthand testimony draws attention to a silent but critical force sustaining families across generations—grandparents acting as unpaid caregivers. Recent reflections published in The Guardian highlight the dual drivers of love and necessity behind this trend, with grandparents stepping in not only to enrich their grandchildren’s lives, but simply to help families keep pace with work and rising living costs The Guardian.

Thailand’s grandparents emerge as the invisible backbone of the modern family structure, shouldering extraordinary caregiving responsibilities that bridge the gap between cultural tradition and economic necessity while the formal childcare system struggles to meet contemporary demands. This profound shift transforms beloved elders from respected advisors into essential primary caregivers, reflecting both the enduring strength of Thai family bonds and the mounting pressures created by rapid social and economic changes throughout the kingdom.

Grandparents across Thailand are stepping into the role of primary caregivers, bridging deep cultural traditions with the realities of today’s economy. This shift highlights the resilience of Thai families while underscoring mounting pressures from rapid social and economic change.

New research echoes what many Thai households already know: multi-generational living and grandparent-led childcare are cultural cornerstones. But the surge in economic strain, migration for work, and urbanization is testing these long-established patterns. The result is a growing reliance on older relatives to fill gaps left by gaps in formal childcare and public support.

Grandparents are stepping in as essential caregivers in Thailand, filling the gap created by rising childcare costs, uneven public services, and shifting work patterns. Across urban and rural communities, older generations balance caregiving with their own needs, enriching family life while facing real challenges.

In many households, grandparents do more than babysit. They help with morning routines, meals, reading, and after-school supervision. Research on family care in Southeast Asia shows that multigenerational arrangements are a practical response to income pressures and housing realities. As two-income households become more common and parents work away from extended families, the role of grandparents in daily childcare grows more central, underscoring the durability of family-based support in Thai society.

Across the world, grandparents are stepping in to fill the childcare gap left by soaring costs and insufficient support. A recent feature published in The Guardian highlights how “an overwhelming bond of love” is driving countless grandparents in the UK to take up sustained roles that look less like occasional babysitting and more like active parenting. This trend—rooted in love, necessity, and social circumstance—is not confined to the UK. Here in Thailand, shifting family structures, economic pressures, and policy gaps have likewise thrust grandparents into pivotal roles as childcare providers, producing both unique rewards and considerable challenges for Thai families.

Surveys and real-life stories show grandparents increasingly becoming primary caregivers for young children. The trend highlights pressures on modern families and the tough choices parents face when balancing work, costs, and care.

A notable case involves a grandmother who began helping for a short period but ended up caring for her grandchild for months. Her fatigue and back pain underscored the need for clear boundaries and sustainable arrangements.

This shift is global. In many countries, data show rising reliance on grandparents as childcare costs climb and work patterns change. In the United States, more than 2.7 million grandparents serve as the primary caregivers to their grandchildren, reflecting economic stress, changing family structures, and pandemic-era disruptions.

A rapidly growing body of research and real-world accounts reveal a significant shift in family dynamics worldwide, as more grandparents are stepping into the role of primary caregivers for young children—sometimes from the moment they’re born. This trend, which was recently thrown into sharp relief by a viral family advice story about parents “taking a break” from active childrearing since their baby’s birth, underscores the complex realities and pressures facing modern families today (Slate).

A new wave of research underscores the growing appeal of entrepreneurship among mothers, revealing a complex interplay between professional ambition, family responsibilities, and systemic barriers—especially within traditionally demanding fields like medicine. Drawing from a recent report by The Irish Times, women who choose to establish their own businesses cite freedom, better work-life balance, and greater autonomy as top motivations, yet continue to face pronounced hurdles including access to funding, childcare, and lingering cultural biases within the business and medical landscapes (irishtimes.com).

A new wave of research shows more mothers are turning to entrepreneurship for greater freedom, better work-life balance, and autonomy. Yet they face barriers such as funding access, reliable childcare, and lingering biases in business and health sectors. The latest reporting highlights that parental ambition is growing, but systems don’t always support it.

The pattern resonates beyond Europe. In Thailand, shifting gender roles and economic pressures are reshaping how families balance careers and caregiving. Global data show a generational shift: a Mastercard study finds 29% of Gen Z women see themselves as entrepreneurs, compared with 17% of Gen X women. Data from Thailand’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) indicate a steady rise in women-led startups, especially in health, beauty, and tech. This aligns with national efforts to empower female founders, while acknowledging funding gaps and cultural stereotypes persist.

A provocative idea from the CEO of Duolingo suggests that in an AI-dominated future, traditional schools may mostly serve as supervised childcare rather than primary learning spaces. The concept, discussed on the No Priors podcast and echoed in global coverage, prompts Thai educators, parents, and policymakers to reexamine the evolving roles of schools and teachers in an era of intelligent learning systems.

Proponents argue that AI can deliver highly personalized instruction at scale, potentially surpassing what a single teacher can manage in a class of 30 or more students. The vision describes schools as social environments where childcare is central, while AI platforms handle most academic teaching. Teachers would act more as facilitators and mentors, supporting skills like collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving that machines cannot replicate.

The future of education is being profoundly reshaped by artificial intelligence, with the latest bold prediction coming from the CEO of Duolingo: in an AI-dominated future, traditional schools may remain—but primarily as places for childcare rather than learning. This provocative vision, recently aired on the No Priors podcast and widely reported in international media (businessinsider.com), brings into focus pressing questions for Thai educators, parents, and policymakers about the evolving role of schools and teachers.

Families around the world are rethinking the boundaries of parenthood by turning to a model rooted in both ancient tradition and modern necessity—raising children together with trusted friends as an alternative or complement to family support. A recent in-depth feature by The Atlantic shines a spotlight on this emerging trend, revealing the practical challenges and deep rewards of creating a ‘chosen village’ for child-rearing in today’s fragmented social landscape. The insights from this story reflect an international movement with profound implications, not only for Western societies but also for countries like Thailand, where urbanization and changing family structures are reshaping childcare arrangements and community life.

A growing global trend is reshaping how families raise children: forming a “chosen village” of trusted friends to share parenting duties. An in-depth feature from The Atlantic examines how formalized, friendship-based co-parenting can ease modern stress while enriching children’s development. The piece speaks to a broader movement with implications for countries like Thailand, where urban life and shifting family structures are transforming childcare and community ties.

The article centers on a couple who, in 2023, relocated from Boston to Washington, D.C. Their best friends moved beside them, and another pair settled nearby. The aim was to support each other’s parenting while keeping trust and flexibility intact. Seven children wandered between homes as adults swapped childcare, meals, and emotional support. Despite logistical and cultural hurdles, participants reported greater social fulfillment and resilience than during solo parenting.

A growing body of international research shows that grandparents are shouldering unprecedented levels of childcare—transforming not only family relationships but also the way societies must support both the elderly and the youngest generations. Recent reports, including one from The Atlantic published in April 2025, highlight “an age of peak grandparenting,” with nearly 60% of American grandmothers providing childcare for grandchildren, and more than 40% seeing a grandchild weekly. Experts warn that the consequences of this shift are profound, shaping retirement, family bonds, and child development not just in the West but across Asia—including Thailand, where traditional family structures and rapid societal changes intersect in unique ways.

Grandparents are taking an increasingly central role in childcare worldwide, reshaping family life and pressuring social systems to adapt. Recent research highlights a trend toward “an age of peak grandparenting,” with many grandparents providing regular care and support for working parents. In Thailand, rapid urbanization, shifting family structures, and an aging population mean grandparent involvement has grown in both importance and complexity.

Why this matters for Thai readers. Traditionally, Thai families relied on multigenerational support, with grandparents passing down culture and often stepping in to care for children. As more parents work outside the home and cities expand, older family members frequently shoulder caregiving duties, sometimes due to limited affordable formal care. In Bangkok and rural areas alike, data from UNICEF Thailand indicate that a notable share of young children live with grandparents or other extended family. This pattern affects child development, elder health, and household finances, underscoring the need for effective support systems.