5 expert tips for creating your own ‘parenting village’ because 1 in 10 get no help UK | news

They say it takes a village to raise a child – but more than one in 10 modern parents don’t have anyone to support them. A study of 1,000 parents of children aged 10 and under found that 71% admitted they would have been lost without the help of others, with the average parent having five people to make life easier.

But hectic work schedules, living far away from relatives and the desire not to burden others have been blamed for making it difficult to build a village around yourself as a parent today. As well as having friends at different stages of life, there is also a lack of local community and small family networks.

As a result, 56% relied on virtual support from online parenting groups, including parenting group chats, Facebook groups, and others. Instagram Pages.

Melissa Cohen, Spokesperson Vitabiotics PregnacareThe organization which conducted the research said: “Support during pregnancy and parenting can make a big difference, but there is not a village around everyone.

“Many people are living further away from friends and family than ever before and building a village from scratch can seem like a daunting prospect. But it doesn’t have to be very big, with lots of people around you.

“Whether it’s physical support, someone on the phone or even online, it all helps to give you guidance, advice or just an ear when you need it.”

The study also found that parents feel that the most important people in their so-called ‘village’ are other mothers and fathers who have been there and done this before.

They also agreed that you need someone who can support you emotionally, as well as a practical helper – someone who can cook for you in the early days, or be on hand to help with an emergency school run.

But 16% of people think that to get relief from talking about children, it is important that at least one of the people close to you does not have children.

For 42%, the biggest benefit of having a village of people to help was simply feeling less alone, followed by having support during difficult moments and less stress or anxiety.

More than a third also said that having support from people around helped them gain more confidence in parenting decisions and made them enjoy parenting more.

However, when it comes to asking for help, parents find it difficult to ask for help just to have time for themselves. Meanwhile, a quarter of people struggled to ask for help throughout the night, and 21% found it hard to admit that they were finding things difficult in general.

Others had difficulty asking for help with household tasks, emotional reassurance, and even child care.

Nevertheless, the research revealed that 51% of those surveyed would feel respected by being considered part of one’s ‘village’. Emotional support was considered the most important role (44%), ahead of practical help (38%) and giving honest advice rather than precise answers (38%).

Antenatal educator, and birth and postpartum doula, Sarah Oakwell-Smith, said: “As humans we are built to parent as a tribe, sharing both emotional and physical roles with each other.

“Only a generation or two ago the mental and physical load was shared with family who lived nearby and were able to step in at any time.

“Now, we are all so busy working, keeping a roof over our heads, putting food on the table, and making sure our children are happy and healthy, that we are often completely alone and unsupported, and it’s no wonder so many people struggle.

“We weren’t meant to do it alone. The good news though is that by following a few easy tips, it’s possible to build a group of much-needed support around yourself.

“We are all better parents when we feel like we are part of a parenting community, sometimes we are so lucky that we have social support naturally and sometimes we have to work to create the community we need so much.”