Just when you think you have it nailed.
A new study from the University of Essex has found what modern parenting styles are resulting in children growing up less developed and well-rounded.
Lecturer at Essex’s School of Health and Social Care, Dr John Day, has now published the findings which explore the repercussions of these modern parenting styles.
A total of 28 in-depth interviews with UK residents born between 1950 and 1994 were conducted.
The results documented that many parents born after the late 1960s, who started parenting in the early 1990s, reported feeling pressure to make sure their children were active amid concerns about their health, which has led to a lack of unsupervised play.
The study found that this limited opportunities for children to enjoy ‘spontaneous play’ and could impact a child’s overall development and growth.
Parent fears around strangers and traffic were found to play a role in parents feeling the need to supervise their children’s playtime.
It also found that children are spending more time on technology than playing with their friends, which has caused parents to worry about their children’s development.
Speaking on the findings, Dr Day said: “Until around the 1990s, parents were not expected to endlessly entertain and monitor their children in the same way they are today, so children had greater freedom to play independently.”
“But since those children have become parents themselves, society has changed so there is a heightened feeling of responsibility for their children’s development.”
Dr. Day has also explained the significance of this findings and why it is essential to change modern parenting for the better.
“Parenting is no longer simply an aspect of who someone is but a role one is expected to extensively perform,” he said.
“Parents and their children are trapped together in this scenario and so we need policymakers to recognise this and work with parents and children to change this for future generations.”
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