Charity sees rise in parents of teenagers reaching breaking point

Parents are increasingly struggling to cope as their children move into their teenage years, according to a new report from children's charity Action for Children.

The charity's free parenting service, Parent Talk, says the number of parents raising concerns about their own mental wellbeing while getting support for their 10 to 15-year-old has jumped from 28% to 40% in just three years.

Parent Talk, which marks five years of operation this year, says it has now supported more than 40,000 parents and carers across the UK through one-to-one conversations – but staff say they are increasingly becoming a "crisis service" for families with teenagers.

40% of parents of 10–15-year-olds accessing one-to-one support in 2025/26 raised concerns about their own wellbeing, up from 28% in 2022/23.

The charity says the transition to secondary school is a particular pressure point, with many families losing established support networks just as their children's needs become more complex.

Many parents initially contact Parent Talk about a specific issue – such as school avoidance, ADHD, or financial worries – but go on to open up about their own anxiety, exhaustion and burnout.

One mum, referred to as Ellen to protect her identity, turned to Parent Talk after her 13-year-old son became increasingly anxious and stopped attending school, while her 10-year-old was undergoing medical investigations for ongoing health problems.

She said: "My son had become so unhappy and withdrawn, and despite repeatedly asking for help, it felt like nobody was listening. The pressure from school and the constant worry about attendance and fines was overwhelming, especially while trying to support another child with ongoing health problems. As a family, we were struggling and I felt like I was carrying the weight of it all on my shoulders."

Ellen said speaking to a Parent Talk coach was "the first time in a long time" she felt listened to and understood, adding: "Our lives have changed for better since speaking with Parent Talk and I'm so pleased we had them to turn to."

Speaking to Hits Radio Somerset, Leanne Balloch, who works for the charity's parenting support service Parent Talk across Somerset says she's increasingly seeing parents at breaking point once their children hit secondary school age, with vital support often disappearing just when families need it most.

Leanne said: "We have a lot of parents call through and say, they just don't know where to get support and that they desperately need someone to talk too.

"It's a difficult time for parents, whilst they also try and navigate their own pressures and stresses."

But staff say the nature of that support is changing. Jo Thurston, who has worked for Parent Talk since it launched, said: "Each year we have increasingly become a crisis service for parents. They are desperate to get things right but tell us they feel unseen, unheard and left to cope alone."

Action for Children is now urging ministers to make early adolescence a priority, warning that families often lose access to support just as children's needs become more complex.

Martha Hampson, Policy and Research Manager at Action for Children, said: "Parents do not stop needing support when their children become teenagers – but the support available to them often does stop.

"We're calling on ministers to make adolescence the next frontier of their prevention and opportunity agenda... We need to establish a national ambition for adolescence, including a focus on secondary school readiness, and to improve support for parents before problems escalate into crisis."

For parents in Somerset who may be struggling, Parent Talk offers free online advice and one-to-one support. You can find out more, or add your voice to the charity's campaign for better support for parents of teenagers, here: bit.ly/forgottenparents