Most parents worry that their child is not reaching their full potential, a new study finds

Almost two thirds of parents (64%) are concerned that their child is not reaching their full potential, according to a new study.

A survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children found that another 42% are more stressed than ever about their child’s academic success.

From safety concerns (37%), to emotional well-being (37%), social development (28%), behavioral issues (23%) and more, it’s no secret that many factors play a role in children. It is success both academically and in life.

According to the results, 85% of parents notice something that worries them about their child on a monthly basis, with 20% indicating it is a daily occurrence.

This was especially true for parents of primary school children, as 28% notice something disturbing every day.

As a first step, many parents (45%) talked to their child about the issue they noticed, others talked to their child’s teacher (20%), while some tried to solve the problem themselves (10%).

The other two thirds (66%) are worried about their child’s growth and development.

These worries were triggered by their child’s grades (28%), the development of a new behavior or habit (28%) or even a comment from their child (22%) or their child’s teacher (20%).

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Presence, the results revealed that almost all of today’s parents (92%) are willing to go to “any length necessary” to ensure their child excels at school.

But even so, 52% are concerned about what their child’s peers will think of them, and 72% of those surveyed admit that other people’s opinions have an impact on their willingness to rate their child for a disability in taught.

However, as their child grows, the influence of other people’s opinions decreases.

Almost four in five (79%) of preschool or kindergarten parents are affected by how others perceive their child, compared to 75% of middle school parents and only 69% of high school parents.

Despite their hesitations, a surprising 91% of all parents surveyed are confident they know how to advocate for support in identifying services their child may need.

Additionally, another 88% of parents are not afraid to bring in a third party, outside the school system, to support their child.

“It’s particularly compelling to see that 79% of parents feel they know the right questions to ask if told to ‘watch and wait’ by a teacher, counselor or clinician. But that still leaves 21% who feel unprepared when faced with this phrase,” said Bonnie Contreras, National Board Certified School Psychologist and Senior Director of Clinical Solutions at Presence.

The results also revealed that half of parents believe their child was held back by the COVID-19 pandemic in the ways of their quality of education (50%), learning loss (41%) and social and emotional development (40%).

Behavioral changes, such as increased difficulty with school work (38%), changes in academic performance or interest (37%), as well as increased irritability (35%) and changes in sleep patterns (35%), also became apparent after the pandemic.

More than four years later, 53% believe their child is still behind academically, and 91% of those parents worry they will fall behind for the rest of their schooling.

About half (49%) of parents believe their child is still playing catch-up because of knowledge gaps in core subjects.

But these indicators differ based on grade level. Parents of high school students are more likely to see low emotional resilience (44%) and fear they are not prepared for the future (40%).

Elementary age children, on the other hand, are struggling with underdeveloped social skills (39%) as well as a lack of decorum in the classroom (29%).

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges that affected an entire generation of students,” Contreras said. “The survey results revealed that 72% of parents believe that learning loss is fixable. This ongoing impact is a call to action for schools and communities to come together, working to support students in every setting to shape a brighter academic future.â€

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents of school-aged children; the survey was commissioned by Presence and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between September. 9 and September. 17, 2024.