Welcome to Trump’s America, The i Paper’s World Insight series presenting the sharpest, deepest thinking on an era-defining shift in history and politics, investigating how Donald Trump and his administration have changed the US and the world – and where we go from here.
• Hegseth is running a PR firm disguised as a defence department• The rich are building their own America• The more America spends on healthcare, the sicker it gets
Parenting is a verb in America. Which tells you all you need to know about why American parents are so stressed. Parenting is a complex skill – something you can strive to get better at, one in which you must choose a strategy and audit results. It’s all a far cry from the days of Dr Benjamin Spock, whose iconic 1946 guide The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care opened with the reassuring words: “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”
Fast forward 80 years, and in 2026 American parents must juggle work, expensive childcare and ubiquitous social media parenting gurus. While these pressures are mounting globally, parenting in America is notably expensive – and competitive.
This is the richest economy in the world – so the payoff for successful parenting can mean generational wealth for your children, if they get into good schools and land well-paying jobs. Rewards are greater here, which is why even now immigrants from all over the world are drawn to America, in search of a better life for the next generation.
