New research reveals that the average family in the East of England still conforms to many traditional gender stereotypes, despite shifting attitudes when it comes to raising children.
The study shows that, on average, fathers are less likely to show love and affection than mothers, with two in five dads in the region admitting they aren’t affectionate with their children. Fathers were also found to take a more laid-back approach to parenting by setting and upholding fewer rules for their children than mothers. For example, they are almost 10% less likely to expect their children to help with household chores.
When it comes to the softer skills of parenting, the survey, which was commissioned by MyNametags.com, found that the majority (74%) of dads in the East prioritise quality time with their children, but it is mums who are more likely to plan how they will spend their time, for example, by organising trips at the weekends (57% vs 63%).
This is reflected nationally with the data showing that UK mums are almost a third more likely to arrange playdates for their children than dads. In addition, mothers are more likely to do arts and crafts with their children, help with homework, and bake or cook with them. Women were even found to be more likely to teach their child to ride a bike than men (55% vs 39%), something which has traditionally been seen as ‘dad’s job’.
Despite these findings, attitudes are shifting when it comes to some aspects of parenting. Over half (55%) of men say they feel pressure to be a good parent. Fathers are also more likely to feel they must compensate for being a working parent than women (57% vs 51%). This could stem from a fear of judgement, with over half (57%) of men admitting that their peers with children influence their parenting style and a further 44% saying that social media is a contributing factor.
Lars B Andersen, Managing Director at MyNametags.com, comments: “Whilst modern families look very different to how they did 50 or 100 years ago, our research shows that many of the stereotypical roles of mums and dads still remain when raising children in the UK.
“We can see that attitudes are shifting, and dads are becoming more conscious of their role when raising children, so it will be interesting to see how this continues to evolve in future family dynamics.”
