It still takes a village - even if ours lives in a group chat

We all know the saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” but what happens when that village doesn’t look like it used to?  

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Gone are the days of multi-generational households, neighbours popping in unannounced with lasagne or extended family living just around the corner. 

Today’s parents are navigating a very different environment – one where group chats replace backyard fences, sleep consultants join the family budget (if you can afford it after the weekly groceries), and the quest to “do it right” feels more high-pressure than ever before.

The pressures of modern parenthood

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Every generation likes to say that they have it worse than the last (the cost of buying a home for a start), but as a parent in the 2020s, it really does feel a lot harder than it ever used to. I don’t feel like my parents had the same, constant pressures while I was growing up, or perhaps I was just oblivious as a kid.

Well, according to Baby Bunting’s new Future Village report, the parenting landscape has shifted significantly. (Unsurprising, but a nice validation.)

A massive 85% of parents agree that their village looks completely different to what their parents had. More than half (51%) believe that parenting is, hands down, harder now than it was for previous generations.

Modern parenthood is a heady cocktail of pressure, comparison, and information overload. In fact, 87% of mothers and 79% of parents overall say they feel immense pressure to make the perfect choices for their families. 

What’s driving it? Keeping up with other families (51%), perfectly curated social media feeds showing perfectly organised minimalist homes and smiling babies in their organic linen (49%), leaving us all with an overwhelming sense that there’s always a better choice out there – if only you knew what it was.

Many parents talk about experiencing decision paralysis – a sense of overwhelm so strong, it stalls any decision-making at all. And the data backs it up: 72% of expectant parents report this feeling, consulting an average of four different sources before making a call on anything from car seats to cot sheets. Gen Z parents are even more affected, with over a quarter saying they check seven or more sources before deciding. No wonder we’re tired.

Sleep deprivation doesn’t help either. It remains the top confidence crusher, with 63% of parents citing their baby’s sleep (or lack thereof) as their biggest challenge. Feeding follows closely behind (35%), and when combined with financial pressures (55%) and the constant juggle of work and life (51%), it’s no wonder today’s parents are feeling the pressure.

That’s a lot of numbers. Here’s the silver lining: we may be under pressure, but we’re also incredibly resourceful.

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A resourceful modern village

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Modern parents are building new villages, just structured differently. 

For 73% of families, paid support is now an important part of the juggle – think sleep consultants, doulas, mental health professionals, and even well-trained retail staff. 

Grandparents still play a crucial role, with 57% of parents turning to their own parents or other trusted elders for guidance. But increasingly, digital communities are becoming the heart of parental support.

One of the most valued spaces is the humble group chat. 43% of women say their mums’ WhatsApp or Messenger thread is their most trusted resource when making parenting purchases. These chats are the modern village square: places to swap advice, blow off steam, compare nap routines (and talk about baby poo), and laugh at the chaos together.

Parents are also changing where they ask for help and guidance. Retail spaces that once felt overwhelming are now being reimagined as part of the solution. Baby Bunting’s new ‘Store of the Future’, for example, has been designed with these modern pressures in mind.

Located in Melbourne, it’s a calmer, more chilled shopping experience – less like a discount baby gear assault under fluorescent lights, and more like a sanctuary. It’s a reflection of how parents are craving simplicity and clarity in every corner of their lives.

While the traditional village may be fading, the need for support hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s probably stronger than ever. What’s changing is how and where we find it.

Today’s village might include a lactation consultant found via Instagram, a fellow mum from a Facebook group who lives interstate, and a local barista who knows exactly how you take your coffee after a sleepless night (double shot, please). It might not look like the picture-perfect village of previous generations, but it’s real, supportive, and built with intention.

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Wrapping it up

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Parenting in 2025 is not for the faint-hearted – on top of it all, we have the climate crisis, wars raging around the world, and the ongoing egg shortage. But parents aren’t doing it alone – not really. They’re leaning into their networks, both digital and in-person, drawing strength from the community in whichever way it comes. And despite the doom and gloom, that might just be the most encouraging takeaway from the Future Village report: parents are still finding ways to support each other. The methods have changed, but the instinct to band together and help each other hasn’t.

Because no matter the generation, the social platform, or the postcode, raising a child is still a team effort.