Parents skip meals or ration heat to give their children the basics
Almost one in five parents say it has become harder to send their children to school since the pandemic.
One in seven parents say their children spend more than seven hours a day in front of a screen, which is more time than they spend at school.
More than half of working parents are now working from home (WFH)
The most extensive report on the experiences of parents in the UK today is based on a YouGov poll of 5,500 parents and highlights the key challenges they face.
This report acts as a voice for parents and reflects their demands for urgent intervention to resolve financial pressures. This includes a portion of the cost of sending children to school, pricing of school holiday travel, and measures to curb the negative impact of social media on children.
The National Parent Survey includes several recommendations from Parentkind aimed at easing the burden on parents, and is packed with important items that will have an impact and spark debate.
Jason Elsom, CEO of Parentkind, said: ‘Being a parent in 2024 will be tough, but parents are just trying to make ends meet, which is what the UK’s biggest annual parent poll shows. This is the message from this year’s national parent survey.” Parents are crying out for help, but too often they are ignored when making decisions. Only four in ten people think society values being a parent, and one in five parents say they are miserable most of the time.
With many parents struggling to make ends meet and keep their children away from screens, it’s no wonder they’re tempted by the school holidays. Parents in the UK are struggling with poverty, with 3.7 million facing the possibility of not being able to pay their bills this month, and a third of parents having less than £500 in the bank. ”
This year’s National Parent Survey is the largest ever and shows that more needs to be done to support parents. We want a big commitment from ministers to listen to parents on making family life cheaper, cracking down on rip-off holiday prices and banning smartphones for children. ”
According to parents, the main concerns are:
child support
One in three (34%) parents say they are struggling financially, with the cost of uniforms and school trips being a particular concern for many. School trips are one of the most expensive expenses associated with a child’s school, with almost half of parents particularly concerned about the cost of school uniforms (47% – 58% of parents with children eligible for free school meals) and school trips (43%). – FSM 51%) Four in 10 (40%) parents of children eligible for free school meals (FSM) have skipped a meal to pay their bills in the past 12 months. One in five (35%) parents have had to ration their heating equipment for the past 12 months One in five (21%) parents have struggled to afford to send their children to school (FSM 47%) More than one in five (22%) parents have debt each month (FSM 41%) One third (37%) of parents have a bank account balance on a rainy day Less than £500 (FSM 58%) One in four parents (26%) say they are worried about missing their rent or mortgage payments (FSM 44%) 1Free School Meals (FSM) Five (22%) of the parents of eligible children had used a food bank.
attendance
Almost three-quarters (76%) of parents say daily lessons are about as important, while one in five (18%) parents have not sent their children to school since the pandemic. More than half of parents (57%) say it has become difficult for their child to attend school or are considering taking one or more days off from school for the holidays. The cost of vacation is a major factor in considering missing school Three in 10 parents (31%) are “more relaxed” about attending school since the pandemic . The majority of parents (57%) say that fines for term holidays do not influence whether they take their children to school on holidays. More parents oppose fines for truancy (50%) than support them (44%)
Screen time and mental health
One in seven parents (14%) say their children use electronic devices for more than seven hours per day, which is longer than a typical school day. Parents say their children spend an average of 3 hours and 20 minutes using electronic devices outside of school on a typical weekday. Almost half (47%) of parents say they’ve had a disagreement with their child over screen time in the past few weeks. Six in 10 (64%) parents say their teens spend more than three hours a day (the equivalent of at least one month a year) on their phones, tablets, or computer games. Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) parents of elementary school-aged children say their children spend time playing games. Elementary school-aged children spend at least 3 hours a day on devices. More than one in ten (11%) parents say their children spend seven or more hours a day on their phones, tablets or computer games than usual. Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) parents at school say their children are missing out on family time as a result of spending time on devices. 1 in 4 (25%) parents say , said their child had experienced a mental health challenge* in the past 12 months (FSM 40%) (*depression, bullying, sexual harassment, self-harm, or eating disorder) in the past 12 months Two in five (39%) children who have experienced a mental health problem* in the past year have missed school as a result (FSM 43%) (*depression, bullying, sexual harassment, self-harm, or eating disorder)
work and family balance
Half of working parents (52%) now regularly work from home More than a third (36%) of working parents have cut back on time to care for children 86% of FSM parents say it has become easier to balance work and family (24%) More than one in three (36%) mothers who work part-time feel it has had a negative impact on their future career prospects. 1 (18%) work fewer hours than they would like (25% for FSM vs. 10% for non-FSM) and unpredictability of working days and hours (26% vs. FSM). (21% non-FSM) and are also more likely to experience work-related challenges such as income uncertainty (32% FSM vs 22% non-FSM).
parent quotes
Amelia Beeston, Administrator, 38, London.
Amelia is married and has two young children.
“For us and other parents we know, the cost of living is a big issue, even if there are two income earners in the household. We knew that having a child would bring additional costs. However, there are so many things that need to be purchased that it seems excessive. This means that there is not much money left to enjoy the all-important family time together.
“Childcare costs are prohibitive, so we choose to send our children to daycare very part-time, using only the allotted time and not using wrap-around childcare for school-age children. I decided to keep costs down, which means I’ll always need childcare.”Juggle working from home to take care of and drop off your child in daycare. It relies heavily on workplace flexibility, and many parents don’t have that luxury. You will have to spend more money on childcare and comprehensive care to cover your work and commute times. ”
Tania McEwing-Winman, 36, Ross-on-Wye. Tania is an NHS mental health nurse and has two children.
“My family struggles to balance the cost of living and work. We both work full time and the cost of daycare is more than our bills. Most daycares in the area And after-school clubs are only open until 5 o’clock, so we need to be more considerate.Although they are managing to do so, it seems like they are working to raise children, so one of them will lose their career if they keep working or quit. Six years ago, this wasn’t a problem.
Parentkind makes the following important recommendations:
Governments should commit to including school costs in new strategies to reduce poverty. We call on the government to review the marketing and pricing of ‘rip-off’ family holidays. Ministers should publish evidence about the harms of smartphones and introduce legislation to ban smartphones for children. Fund after-school clubs for all children Help raise money for enrichment programs, school trips and used uniforms Increase PTAs
Link to national parent survey
https://nationalparentsurvey.parentkind.org
Link to National Parent Survey Media Briefing
https://www.parentkind.org.uk/research-and-policy/parent-research/parent-voice-reports/national-parent-survey-2024-media-briefing
All figures are from YouGov Plc unless otherwise stated. The total sample size was 5,490 adults. Fieldwork was conducted from April 26 to May 16, 2024. The survey was conducted online. This figure is weighted and representative of UK parents (18+).
