Parents fear what the future holds for kids, survey finds

PARENTS in Northern Ireland have little hope for their children’s future — with two thirds more worried than optimistic, a study has found.

The Big Parenting Survey asked 1,192 parents across Northern Ireland about their hopes for their children, their fears and concerns and their views on society.

The findings give an insight into the realities of modern parenting here.

Some 66% of parents said they were more worried than hopeful about parenting in the future.

Parents overwhelmingly identified more challenges than opportunities for their children, with their main concerns being the impact of technology and social media on young people, mental health and the cost of childcare.

Many parents also expressed frustration at the current political uncertainty, in particular concern that important decisions are not being made, which is having a harmful impact on health and education budgets.

This in turn is putting more pressure on families, with long waiting lists for services, and parents being asked to plug the funding gap in schools.

Another worrying figure was that 82% of survey participants said they did not feel parents get enough support.

Their answers indicated that they felt that society was not very supportive of those in a parenting role and that more could be

Concerning: Charlene Brooks

done to make parents aware of the services available to them.

A further 42% of parents surveyed said they did not think their children can achieve their hopes in Northern Ireland, while 66% felt that society did not want the same thing for their children as they did.

Among those surveyed was a Belfast mother of three daughters, Jenny Smithson, who has concerns about keeping her children safe online and worries about the impact of social media.

She added: “I hope that it won’t shape my girls’ identity — that the number of likes/followers or whatever else won’t become more important to them than life outside the screen.

“I also worry about the impact this has on young people’s mental health, and trying to teach my children how to deal with their emotions is something that I have found really challenging.

“So much of the concerns of a parent are navigating new fears, things that didn’t exist when we were kids, or maybe even the same things that now seem very different when it is our children facing them.

“The world may in many ways seem more daunting, and unstable than it has been, and in general it seems as though hope is at a low ebb.

“We must not put our heads in the sand.”

Charlene Brooks, chief executive at Parenting NI, said the report’s findings were deeply concerning.

“Parents are telling us that they have serious concerns about their children’s future in Northern Ireland and have little hope that it will get better any time soon.

“We are calling on those in policy making/commissioning roles to give parents a reason to be hopeful again.

“A lot of the issues parents are concerned about cannot be addressed without a government; we need to have decisions made on policies and strategies that will work to the benefit of families in Northern Ireland.”

The research also found that 19% of parents surveyed were concerned about the mental health of parents and children. Other issues identified as being of concern were technology, social media and cyberbullying.

Peer pressure and bullying were an issue for another 11%, with money and finance a concern for 9%.