A LOT of parents say spending time with their kids is their ‘biggest challenge’

"It is immensely helpful for a child to have a supportive adult in their lives."

Almost half of parents (44 per cent) say that spending enough time with their children is their "biggest challenge". More than nine in ten parents also admit to being overwhelmed at times. Over 1,500 parents were questioned by Barnardos for a survey on what it's like to be a parent in Ireland. Its results shed light on what our mums and dads struggle with. Managing stress was an issue for respondents, with 21 per cent saying it was their biggest challenge as a parent. Reacting to the survey results, Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay emphasised the importance of families spending time together. "We know the parent-child relationship is the biggest factor in facilitating positive emotional development in children," he said. "It is immensely helpful for a child to have a supportive adult in their lives who can spend regular dedicated quality time with them. "Yet 44 per cent of parents reported that spending enough time with their children was their biggest challenge." It was worrying that 36 per cent of parents in the survey felt unsupported, he added. "It is vitally important that parents can get the help and support they need, when they need it and where they feel most comfortable." Childcare was another major challenge for the survey's participants. Almost four in ten (38 per cent) said that affordable and quality childcare and preschool would make the biggest difference them as a parent.