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Parenting Gurus and the Business of Anxiety

Parenting Gurus and the Business of Anxiety

They say anxiety is crippling. Turns out, it’s also incredibly lucrative.💰️

Danielle & Greg Neufeld
September 15, 2025

Hi friends,

This week on The Most Important Thing, we explore a growing industry that’s cashing in on modern parenting — and leaving many of us feeling like we’re failing.

We’re calling it what it is: The Business of Anxiety.

From Instagram reels to weekly emails, parenting influencers like Dr. Becky and Big Little Feelings have built massive followings and 8-figure empires by marketing to our most vulnerable moments — tantrums, power struggles, guilt spirals, sibling meltdowns. Their message?

“You’re underequipped.”
“Parenting doesn’t need to feel this hard.”
“You weren’t set up for success. No parent was. It’s unfair. It’s impossible.”

And the worst part?
It’s working.

In a recent survey, 88% of parents reported that they believe parenting is harder today than it was for the previous generation. This episode is our gentle rebellion.

We break down:

Why this fear-based messaging is so effective psychologically (hello 👋 negativity bias and identity signaling)
How post-COVID parenting culture became an anxiety vortex
The sneaky business model behind painkiller-style advice
What it means to flip the script — and build from a place of strength instead of a deficit

If you’re reading this, you’re already a good parent. None of us has every answer — but we do have everyday moments that matter. Let’s focus on those instead.

✨ To help shift the focus, we put together a list of 100 Family Culture Moments — proof that joy, connection, and belonging are already happening in your home.

Not a to-do list. An already-doing list.