We Talk About Mom Guilt. But Dads May Be Feeling It Even More, New Research Suggests
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New findings reveal dads compare themselves to other parents more than moms do, as Millennial and Gen Z parents take increasingly different approaches to parenting.
LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2026 – We talk a lot about mom guilt, but “dad guilt” has entered the chat. New research published today suggests dads may be feeling parenting pressure in ways that often go unnoticed.
According to The Next State of Parenthood 2026 report from Moonbug Entertainment, the studio behind global kids’ brands CoComelon and Blippi, 53% of dads say they compare themselves to other parents online, compared to 37% of moms. The study also found that Millennials are more likely than Gen Z parents to use AI for parenting support, challenging assumptions about which generation is leading the adoption of new technologies.
Developed by Moonbug Insights, the company’s in-house audience intelligence team, the study combines a nationally representative survey of 1,000 U.S. parents with in-depth interviews across diverse households to explore how parenting is evolving across generations.
From “gentle parenting” and “velcro parenting” to AI, parental burnout, and identity beyond parenthood, the findings reveal that Millennial and Gen Z parents are increasingly approaching family life from different perspectives.
Together, those differences create four distinct parenting realities: Millennial moms, Millennial dads, Gen Z moms, and Gen Z dads. The findings suggest there is no longer one definition of a "modern parent." Instead, parenting is increasingly shaped by different pressures, priorities, and definitions of what it means to be a good parent. Each group navigates parenting, trust, media, and purchasing decisions differently, creating new challenges and opportunities for brands trying to connect with families.
One of the clearest divides is generational. While 87% of Millennials say being a parent is central to who they are, Gen Z parents are more likely to see parenting as one part of a broader identity. Millennials are also more likely to follow established parenting philosophies and build routines around them, while Gen Z parents are more likely to reject labels and create approaches that feel right for their own families or situations.
Key findings from the study include:
Dads may be feeling parenting pressure more than many realize. 53% of dads say they compare themselves to other parents online, compared to 37% of moms, suggesting fathers may be experiencing a different kind of parenting pressure than traditional narratives often assume.
Millennials are turning to AI for parenting more than Gen Z, especially for product research (44% of Millennials vs. 32% of Gen Z), meal planning (41% vs. 32%), and parenting advice (40% vs. 28%). On the other hand, Gen Z parents are more cautious and generally less likely to use AI across those tasks, with 26% of the Gen Z moms reporting no usage at all.
Gen Z parents are less likely to define themselves by parenthood. 87% of Millennials say being a parent is central to who they are, compared to 80% of Gen Z parents, who are more likely to view parenting as one part of a broader identity.
Millennials are parenting like their parents. Gen Z are rewriting the rules. 44% of Millennials say they parent similarly to how they were raised. Gen Z is more likely to forge a different path: 20% say they have developed a significantly different parenting approach, while another 12% say they are intentionally parenting in the opposite way.
“Gentle parenting” isn't just for moms. 42% of Millennial dads identify with “gentle parenting,” the highest rate of any parent group in the study. Another 34% of Gen Z dads say the same, suggesting empathy-first parenting is becoming a defining characteristic of modern fatherhood.
Gen Z parents are embracing “velcro parenting.” Compared to older generations, Gen Z parents are more likely to identify with staying closely connected and responsive to their children rather than following rigid parenting philosophies or labels.
Parents believe in self-care. They just feel guilty doing it. 61% say they feel guilty taking personal time for themselves, even though 78% believe rest makes them a better parent.
YouTube has become parenting’s daily companion. At 76%, YouTube is the most-used daily platform among parents, ahead of Facebook (69%), Instagram (66%), and TikTok (62%), highlighting the growing role creator content plays in parenting decisions and family life.
Parents are prioritizing quality over price. 68% say product quality and durability is a top purchase driver, compared to 59% who cite price, challenging the assumption that families are primarily motivated by cost.
Authenticity wins. 70% of parents prefer authentic or naturally produced creator content over polished, professional production, signaling a clear preference for realism over perfection.
Parents are willing to spend more on products for their children. More than half say they would pay more for sustainable or organic options in children’s food (51%) and children’s personal care products (52%), even as willingness-to-pay drops significantly in categories that do not directly affect their children.
"What this year's research makes clear is that the path from awareness to purchase looks fundamentally different across these four parents," said Dan'l Hewitt, Global Head of Brand Partnerships at Moonbug Entertainment. "Some parents will convert directly from a creator they trust. Others will save the post, research it across multiple platforms, and decide on their own time. The same message will not land for both. The opportunity for brands is in recognizing that there isn't one funnel anymore. There are four, and each one calls for a different approach."
"What stayed with me most from this research was how different parenting looks behind closed doors," said Johanna Moscoso, Director of Audience Intelligence at Moonbug and lead author of the study. "The mom who keeps the household running and isn't sure anyone notices. The dad scrolling parenting creators at midnight and wondering if he's getting it right. The Gen Z parent intentionally doing the opposite of what they grew up with. These are not edge cases. They are the modern family."
What this means for brands and marketers:
There is no single parent audience. Different generations and genders are navigating parenting through different pressures, priorities, and decision-making styles.
Parenting culture is also the internet culture. Online conversations around gentle parenting, parental burnout, AI, identity, and creator influence are increasingly shaping real-world behavior and purchasing decisions.
Trust is fragmented. Parents rely on different combinations of creators, reviews, experts, friends, family, and social platforms when making decisions.
Parents don’t all buy the same way: Some act immediately after discovering a product, while others research extensively across multiple sources before making a purchase. 41% of Gen Z moms use four or more sources when evaluating purchases over $500, making trust, reviews, and validation especially important in high-consideration categories.
Parents prefer realism over perfection: Across generations, parents responded more positively to messaging that feels honest, useful, emotionally aware and reflective of real family life.
Quality and trusted reviews are driving purchase decisions more than price in many categories, particularly children's food, personal care, and baby products, where parents are willing to pay more for cleaner ingredients and brands they trust.
About the Study
The Next State of Parenthood 2026 from Moonbug Insights explores how today’s parents navigate family life, identity, trust, media, creator engagement, and purchasing decisions in an increasingly fragmented parenting landscape. The research combines a nationally representative survey of 1,000 U.S. parents with in-depth qualitative interviews across diverse households. It builds on Moonbug’s 2025 study and looks at how parenting today is shaped by everyday realities – from how households are run and how parents manage emotional and social pressure, to how those pressures influence trust, behavior, and what families ultimately choose to buy. The findings offer insights for marketers, media planners, and storytellers seeking to engage families with greater relevance and impact.
About Moonbug
Moonbug is an award-winning global entertainment company inspiring kids everywhere to laugh, learn and grow. The company is behind some of the biggest kids’ entertainment brands in the world, including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Angel. Moonbug believes every child should have access to entertaining and enriching content, making its shows available on more than 150 video platforms globally including Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and YouTube Kids. The company is also a global leader in pre-school music and audio experiences, available on 100+ audio platforms globally. Moonbug brands extend far beyond the screen to include streaming music, games and interactive, consumer products, and live events.
Moonbug is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises. By bringing together elite talent operating at the intersection of content, community, and commerce, it helps to position leading entertainment businesses for accelerated, sustainable growth in the current market and beyond. Candle is run by its Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs, leading entertainment executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, and backed by investment capital from funds managed by Blackstone’s flagship private equity business.
Media Contact:
Sruthi Dhulipala Moonbug Entertainment