Parents naturally want to give their children as much time as possible, so it’s no surprise that the number one guilt trigger for parents is being too busy.
A new survey has revealed the things that parents feel most guilty about, including working long hours, missing family days out, and not earning enough money to afford all the things their children want.
The results come from a survey of 2,000 parents in the UK conducted by the toy company Little Tikes as part of a campaign to encourage families to make the most of outdoor activities.
Interestingly, most of the top ten answers were related to being too busy with work and chores, and a desire to spend more quality time with the family.
Parents also mentioned feeling guilty for being too tired or busy to give children their full attention and sometimes relying on the television to keep kids occupied while getting the housework done. Both mums and dads also said they felt guilty about having to return to work after taking parental leave.
And yet, 8 out of ten parents did accept that they might be putting too much pressure on themselves. This might suggest that most parents are doing the best they can and mostly just want to make the most of being a parent.
Perhaps a touch of guilt is unavoidable when you want the best for your family, but it’s also important to recognise what you’re already doing really well, and to make the most of the time you do have together. Get out and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!
The top ten guilt triggers were:
- Being too busy to give children more attention
- Working long hours
- Doing 'jobs' instead of spending quality time playing
- Working late
- Not being able to afford everything the children want
- Not spending enough 'quality time' together
- Not playing enough outside with the children
- Returning to work after parental leave
- Not going on more days out
- Not spending enough time in the fresh air with the children
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