At My Nametags, we’ve been making labels for families across the world for almost 20 years. Life has changed a lot in that time, so we were interested to discover how parenting styles have adapted compared to previous generations.
To find out more, we asked 2,000 British parents about their own parenting style compared to their parents’ approach. The results demonstrated some key changes in our attitudes towards raising a family:
Top 5 Differences in Parenting
- Modern parents are more lenient. According to our research, over half of parents (52 percent) today have few or inconsistent rules for their little ones. By contrast, two thirds of those researched said they were set clear and strict rules by their own parents when growing up (66 percent).
- Modern parents are more ‘hands on’. Our research demonstrates that parents today are more likely to play with their children on a day to day basis. For example, they are more likely to bake or cook with them (66 percent), do arts and crafts at home (61 percent), or play imaginative games like shops or teachers (61 percent).
- Modern parents prioritise more quality family time. Spending time as a whole family is key for modern parents, according to our findings. Modern parents insist more on family activities (63 percent) and take their children out on the weekends (63 percent) and on holiday more (46 percent) than their parents did.
- Previous generations were more practical. Whilst modern parents take a softer approach, we found that the older generations prioritised passing on practical life skills to their children. For example, by teaching their children how to ride a bike (54 percent) and mending damaged clothing (43 percent).
- Modern parents feel more guilt. One explanation for this shift towards prioritising quality time over teaching practical skills could be because modern parents feel more guilt. Our research shows that three in five (61 percent) modern parents believe they feel more pressure to be a good parent than their parents did. Plus, over half (55 percent) say they feel more guilty than their own parents did for missing out on parts of their children’s lives because of work commitments.
We know that parents’ lives are busier than ever between juggling work, family, and the pressures of modern life. We believe that life should be made as easy as possible so that families can spend more quality time together doing the things that they value most, instead of sweating the small stuff. That’s why we created a range of customisable iron-on and stick on name labels so there’s no need for a needle and thread and labelling children’s school kit is one less thing to worry about.
