Past imperfect
Published
What would you, as a parent, tell your younger self if you were offered the chance? Cherish the little moments, ask for help when you need it and forgive mistakes are the top pearls of wisdom to emerge in a new survey from Philips Avent as part of their Share the Wisdom campaign.
The idea behind the campaign is to remind new parents that they are not alone and encourage parents with older children to share their pearls of wisdom with those who are just embarking on their new parenting journey.
In a poll by OnePoll.com of 1,000 mums and dads with children aged one to ten, 72 per cent admitted they felt pressure to be ‘the perfect parent’. More than 80 per cent said they regretted spending too much time worrying about ‘doing everything right’ and wished they could remind their younger self to trust their instincts when it comes to parenting and not listen to other people's opinions. And 44 per cent admitted they felt overwhelmed by other people’s advice often or very often.
It also emerged the top challenges parents face during the early months and years of their baby’s life include sleep deprivation (49 per cent), finding time for self-care (39 per cent) and learning baby’s cues (30 per cent).
The number of parents who struggle to find time for selfcare in the early years and months of their child's life was significantly higher for women (47 per cent) than men (30 per cent). When parents did take time for themselves, 44 per cent felt selfish when doing so. And 62 per cent said that they would ask for more help if they were to go through the parenting journey again.
TOP 10 pieces of advice parents would give their younger selves:
1. You’ll make mistakes, and that’s okay
2. Don’t compare your child to others
3. Cherish ‘the little moments’
4. Laugh often with your kids
5. Teach them kindness by example
6. Cherish the hugs and kisses
7. Ask for help when you need it
8. Take lots of photos and videos
9. You don’t have to be perfect
10. Say ‘I love you’ every day
