How often do you give in? New research says that parents give in to pester power a staggering 21 times a week.
Parents give in to pester power for sugary drinks and snacks, a staggering 21 times a week on average or 1,092 times a year, according to a new survey.
Researchers took a detailed look at modern parent’s attitudes towards snacking and found that children’s addiction to high salt and sugary foods is at an all-time high.
The survey, commissioned by the milk drink firm Yazoo, found that the average parent hears the words “I’m hungry” from their kids about nine times a day, with chocolate emerging as the snack children pester for the most, followed closely by sweets, crisps, biscuits and sugary drinks.
According to the poll, if parents do attempt to withhold sweets from their offspring, 40 per cent are rewarded with a sulk, a further 31 per cent are hit by name-calling and tantrums – 28 per cent can expect tears and a complete meltdown.
The research also revealed that 77 per cent of parents feel guilty about the amount of sugary, fatty and salty foods they allow their children to eat. Over half (54 per cent) admitted lying to their other half about what the children have eaten that day.
The majority (86 per cent) of parents admit to giving in five times a day to pester power, with around a quarter (22 per cent) saying they just do it for an “easy life.” A further 67 per cent say they regularly bribe their children with sweets in return for good behaviour.
Mums and dads endure six food related battles a day with the average parent giving in to pester power from their children after just five minutes. The majority (67 per cent) claimed that even though they have tried to feed their children healthier snacks, their children simply refuse to eat alternatives such as fruit, yoghurt, carrot sticks or dried fruit.
Meanwhile, almost half of mums and dads (46 per cent) admitted that before they became a parent they thought they would be tougher on their children than they actually are. Didn’t we all…didn’t we all?
Do you stick to your guns? Let us know your thoughts in the Facebook comments or join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie
