'Parenting in this economy is not for the faint hearted'

“I think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, and it’s really hard.” 

For every parent who's had a break from work (usually to welcome a baby), the biggest worry is often the same: money!

And the pressure doesn't ease when the 'break' is over - in fact, it's often worse.

For Aussie mum Jordana Mintz, the cost-of-living crisis has made her return to work feel even more chaotic, and it's prompted her to ask how everyone else is managing a new era of parenting in 2025.

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"Pure desperation"  

Since returning to work after her maternity leave things have gone from bad to worse. 

"In many cases, returning to work doesn’t increase income as much as it increases expenses. It's a hard pill to swallow when you’ve already made significant sacrifices to keep your family afloat," she told Kidspot. 

"The cost of childcare is so high that for many families. It often feels like the financial benefit of returning to work is minimal, or even nonexistent." 

The mother of two took to TikTok to connect with others who are doing it tough right now.

She titled the video: “Parenting in this economy is not for the faint hearted.” 

“How are you guys paying for anything beyond the bare necessities right now?” she asked her viewers.

@jordimintz

Is anyone else FIGHTING for LIFE financially right now???? Parenting in this economy is not for the faint hearted #finances #motherhood #mumtok #momtok #parenthood #ocdmom #ocdawareness #baby #financialtips

♬ original sound - Jordi

Since giving birth and returning to work, Jordana says she can’t catch a break.

“I have done nothing but chase my tail. We are completely paycheck to paycheck," she revealed.  

There’s a constant urge to try and improve — but no realistic way to make it happen.

“I feel this sense of pure desperation. All I’m thinking about is what can I do to increase our income as a family?”

Jordana had expected the transition to life with another baby to be manageable, but she admits she was mistaken.

“I thought that I had done all the things the right way to be able to manage,” she explained.

Both Jordana and her husband have well-paying jobs, they had savings, they're home owners - all their ducks seemed to be in a row.

It still isn't enough.  

Image: TikTok/ jordimintz

"More than we can chew"

“I did not foresee how hard this was going to be,” she admitted.

Jordana has started questioning her desire to live the great Aussie dream.

“It’s at the point where it’s just like, I don’t even want the house. I will put it on the market, take the money and run,” she considered.

She even contemplated another idea she saw on TikTok.

“Rent out and move back to my parents, which I saw another mum do on TikTok a couple of months ago,” she continued.

It seems for many the era of ‘work hard, play hard’ is over.

“Everyone’s juggling so much, and yet I feel like we’re not even really getting the rewards,” she stressed.

“I think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, and it’s really hard.” 

"Once you're behind, it's hard to catch up"

Her TikTok comments were flooded with parents experiencing similar struggles.

“This is us, and we are experiencing a big burnout,” said one parent. 

“This worries me. I’m heading back to work soon,” wrote another. 

“Once you’re behind, it’s hard to catch up,” a third added. 

Jordana ended her video with a message of reassurance for families in the same boat.

“I have so much empathy for you. It’s s***,” she sympathised. 

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She also encouraged her followers to share tips and words of encouragement.

“At the moment, I just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I feel like this is just going to be our life now,” she shared.

One commenter offered insight that many parents may draw comfort from:

“I read something the other day — ‘It’s not my time to save money, it’s my time to raise my babies’ — and that made me feel slightly better." 

Originally published as 'Parenting in this economy is not for the faint hearted'