Have you ever even heard of a “hospital fantasy?” I certainly had not until my friend Katrina Alcorn mentioned it in her talk at South by Southwest in March.
According to Alcorn, author of Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink, 68% of people who took her poll said they had a “hospital fantasy,” meaning they would opt for a minor “accident” that would allow them to be hospitalized for a short period and ultimately be relieved for a few days from their “to-do” list. Good grief.
The data point is part of Alcorn’s overall message that work and parenting aren’t in sync and that folks at both ends of the income spectrum are over worked and suffering from chronic stress.
In April, Alcorn gave a TEDx talk on the topic, which you can watch below. She offers tangible strategies on how to help relieve some of this stress — how work and families can find a better way — and points to policy makers, dads and employers as part of the solution. As she says, “It’s time for society to lean into parenting…”
