The Power Behind Parenting: Why Peer Support Matters More Than Ever

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By Eve Sullivan

April 23, 2026

If you’re part of the National Parents Union (NPU) community as a member, partner, or ally, you already know the reality: parents are pulled in a hundred different directions every single day.

Our kids need us. Our partners need us. Many of us are also supporting our own parents… or know that moment is coming. Our communities rely on us. And, of course, there’s the constant pressure of our jobs and the expectations that come with them.

So the real question is: Where do we find the strength to keep showing up?

For many of us, the answer is simple and powerful: each other.

The “Magic Potion” We Don’t Talk About Enough

There’s something incredibly grounding about connecting with other parents who get it. That shared understanding, the ability to swap stories, offer advice, or just listen is the kind of support you can’t replicate anywhere else.

That’s the “magic potion”: peer support.

And one of the best ways to deliver that support is through parenting education programs. Think of these programs as the “bottle” that holds and distributes that magic creating space for connection, learning, and growth.

But here’s the problem: too often, parenting programs are associated with crisis or intervention. They’re introduced when something has already gone wrong, when families are struggling or systems are stepping in.

Because of that, many parents avoid them altogether even when they’re offered as positive, preventative resources.

And that raises an important question: What’s wrong with this picture?

It’s Time to Change the Narrative

Parenting education shouldn’t feel like a last resort. It should be as normal and as expected as driver’s education for teens or onboarding at a new job.

We prepare for so many roles in life. Why not one of the most important ones?

Right now, accessible, affordable, and welcoming parenting support is still too hard to find. And when it does exist, stigma often keeps families from walking through the door.

That’s something we have the power to change together.

A Simple Way to Make a Big Impact

There’s an opportunity right now to help shift this narrative in a meaningful, visible way.

Parents Forum has proposed that the United States Postal Service create a commemorative stamp honoring parenting education; a small but powerful step toward recognizing its value nationwide.

And here’s where you come in.

Making this happen requires public support, a lot of it. The most successful proposals are backed by thousands of letters from people like you who believe in the cause.

Participating is simple:

  • Write a short letter supporting the parenting education stamp
  • Mail it to the USPS (yes, it needs to be physical mail)
  • It takes about 10–15 minutes and the cost of a stamp

You can find a sample letter and more details at: https://parentsforum.org/advocacy

If you have an extra moment, consider emailing [email protected] to share that you’ve submitted your letter.


The creative assets for the proposed parenting education-themed stamp have not been created. The proposal must be selected first. 

Let’s Show Up for Parents

At the heart of everything we do in the NPU community is a belief in the power of parents and in the importance of supporting one another.

This is one small action that contributes to a much bigger shift: normalizing parenting support, reducing stigma, and making sure no parent feels like they have to figure it all out alone.

Because when parents are supported, families are stronger. And when families are stronger, our communities thrive.

Let’s make sure parenting education gets the recognition and respect it deserves.


 

Eve Sullivan is the mother of three grown sons and four grandchildren, lives in Cambridge, Mass., and retired from MIT in 2012 after many years as a senior editorial assistant. Trained as a language teacher, she founded Parents Forum in 1991 as a way to pay forward the help she received in raising her own children. She is active on behalf of Parents Forum with other organizations, including having served on the board of the International Federation for Parent Education based in Paris. Eve is the author of the program handbook Where the Heart Listens. Her vision of a community of parents and others who care about children and support families created Parents Forum. Eve is a longstanding and active member of NPU’s Parent Power Collective.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARENTS UNION
With more than 1,800 affiliated parent organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, the National Parents Union is the united, independent voice of modern American families. We channel the power of parents into powerful policies that improve the lives of children, families and communities across the United States. https://nationalparentsunion.org/