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Sure, 2020 might have been a tough year, but half of all Americans call 2021 the worst year so far of their lives. Seven in 10 are clinging to the hope that 2022 will be an improvement.
These findings were recorded in a mid-December survey by New York-based OnePoll which found that younger people were more upset by events during the year than the older segment of the population.
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Particularly affected were parents of young children who cited parenting problems as a major reason that 2021 was such a bad year. Parenting was even tougher during the year, they said, and even more hectic than it had been in 2020.
Among the significant reasons these parents found parenthood to be tougher during the year was homeschooling. Other reasons cited by parents questioned in the poll included getting children back to school safely, keeping them safe from the virus, and the increased cost of living as a result of the coronavirus.
Two-thirds of the parents who responded in the survey said that the pandemic caused them to rethink completely how they parent their children. More men (68%) felt this way than did women (57%). Six in every seven of the parents polled said they have taken a new look at the way they parent their children.
Not unexpectedly, parenting was not at all challenging during the year for the older generation, few of whom had to cope with raising young children.
Most upset
The survey conducted by OnePoll found:
- Those most upset by the year were millennials (those aged 25 to 40), two-thirds of whom felt the year was extremely unpleasant for them.
- Not far behind were Gen Zers (aged 18 to 24), six in 10 of whom found it a tough year.
- Nearly half of Gen Xers (age 41 to 56) felt 2021 was not their best year.
- On the other hand, most boomers (aged more than 57) disagreed with the idea that 2021 was their worst year ever.
Optimistic for the future
The survey found that, in spite of a bad year, almost eight in every 10 respondents said they were optimists and most of them have great hope that 2022 will be better. Eight in 10 men are anticipating 2022 to be better compared with seven in 10 women who feel that way.
What they want
Here’s a look at some of the changes parents of young children would like to see in 2022, according to the survey.
- Childcare options that are more accessible—24%.
- The institution of federal paid leave in the U.S.—20%.
- More options for remote and hybrid work—17%.
- Making a COVID-19 vaccine available for children younger than five—13%.
- An improved system of healthcare—9%.
Want to go back to work
The poll also found that nine in 10 employed Americans are eager to return to work full-time in person in 2022. Almost nine in 10 respondents are ready to throw out virtual meetings and feel they cannot wait to return to their physical workplaces in 2022. Only one in seven have already gone back to a physical workspace.
