The pressures on parents ’ time
It ’ s not just family time that parents say they ’ re missing out on . One in three parents admitted they don ’ t spend as much time as they would like to help with their child ’ s school work and more than one in three parents would like to spend more time reading with their child for fun . Given the overwhelming evidence that parental engagement is vital in a child ’ s academic success , this is a worryingly high statistic .
Just a third of parents have enough time for hobbies , to meet up with friends or exercise as much as they would like to . Mums are less likely than dads to have the time for these activities . These activities are not a luxury , but an essential component for health and wellbeing .
When asked why they don ’ t have enough time to themselves , almost half of parents ( and 55 % of mums ) said chores or caring responsibilities were the cause .
For poorer families , again the biggest barriers are cost and mental or physical health . For more affluent families , their paid jobs are the biggest barrier .
There are signs that being a parent isn ’ t seen as important with just four in ten parents saying that society values their role .
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[ There ’ s a ] pressure of always trying to make the best decisions for my children
- Parent response
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I am a single parent , and also a carer for my mother . I have very little ‘ me ’ time .
- Parent response
34 NATIONALPARENTSURVEY . COM NATIONAL PARENT SURVEY 2024