What is the Parent Feelings Project?
The Parent Feelings Project is a qualitative study based in Vancouver, BC. In surveys and interviews, parents share their innermost thoughts on how the current political climate is shaping their parenting approach, particularly in this pandemic-era context of diversity and inclusion initiatives, political polarization, misinformation, and intersecting social issues like inflation, inaccessible housing and child care, racism, and climate change. And parents are generous. It turns out that they think about these things a lot while they are busy on the frontlines of raising the next generation.
Who is behind the PFP?
The Parent Feelings Project is directed by me, Amanda Watson, with help from three smart research assistants. I’m a Senior Lecturer at Simon Fraser University and mom of two kids and two pups. When not talking to other parents (including my partner) about what the heck we’re trying to do (or trying not to do, more like it), you can find me staging photographs of kid toys to post on marketplace and sneaking handfuls of chips from the pantry before dinner.
Why a newsletter?
Parents do a lot of important things and one of those things is raise the next generation. What, like it’s hard? This is a place where parents and people who love parents can reflect on their feelings and ideas about the current political moment and the kids growing into it. It might be challenging at times. I hope it is always validating.
As a feminist sociologist who studies culture, I’m here to help interpret the norms and beliefs that are coming at us all the time in the forms of TV, movies, books, chats with your friends at bookclub, digital content creators, your kid’s school, Justin Trudeau’s front lawn, ads for shape wear, and texts from your in-laws. Yes, that was misogynist, and no, you’re not doing it wrong.
Are you giving parenting advice?
No. I don’t do that. This is a good thing, trust me.
My research as a sociologist who studies family, work, gender, and culture suggests that parents from different communities and with diverse experiences are supporting small humans the best they know how. There’s a lot of advice out there! When I ask parents where they turn when they have questions about raising kids, they describe relying on gut feelings, intuition, modelling from their parents, conversations with friends and family, and parenting resources on social media and from public health. I rely on these things too.
How can I be a good parent tho?
We don’t all agree on how to parent. Sometimes good intentions lead to unintended outcomes for kids and communities. But my research is revealing that parents are thinking hard and parenting with intention around topics like gender, race, class, climate, consent, emotional regulation, and culture. Parents are doing what they can to make up for shortcomings that have nothing to do with them. If we think together about the barriers facing families and the attitudes that keep these barriers in place, we can better support each other as a community of parents.
Why sign up?
When you sign up for a free subscription, you will get biweekly updates on fresh and ongoing research on the experiences of parenting through stressors like inflation and climate change and other social justice issues like racism and ableism. You’ll be part of a community thinking about parent feels!
You’ll also get hot takes on cultural representation of parenting like in my current favourite shows, The Kardashians and Selling Sunset.
