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PARENTING TAKES DISPROPORTIONATE TOLL ON MOTHERS, NEW ALDI RESEARCH REVIELS

Research carried out on behalf of ALDI uncovers the hidden impacts of parenthood. Significantly more mothers (61%) than fathers (42%) find it challenging to meet societal standards of good parenting.

Research carried out on behalf of ALDI uncovers the hidden impacts of parenthood. Significantly more mothers (61%) than fathers (42%) find it challenging to meet societal standards of good parenting.

ALDI Ireland today launched its Mammies and Daddies Report, a specially commissioned piece of research that deep dives into what it means to be a parent in Ireland today.

Research methodology

The report findings are based on a research study of 500 mums and dads of kids aged up to 12 conducted by Coyne Research to better understand the economic, emotional and societal impact of being a parent.

Research findings

Among the key themes covered in the report include how parents perceive their own value and worth, how they deem the family unit to value them, and, more broadly, how they feel society values their role.

The report also takes a look at where the pressure points currently are for parents, whether in their efforts to maintain a work-life balance, the financial pressures of running a household, the impact of parenting on both relationships and career, as well as the emotional stresses and strains that come with daily parenting.

Unsurprisingly, almost two thirds of parents (65%) have felt the financial pinch of parenting, citing their finances having been negatively impacted since becoming a parent.

A starker finding shows that more than four in five parents (82%) are spending less than 10% of their time per week on hobbies and personal past times, which demonstrates a recurring theme of parents’ inability to carve out important “me time” for themselves due to their parenting role in the household.

Balancing parenting roles within the household

The findings of the research study shows that parenting does take a disproportionate toll on mothers – a fact that is recognised by both men and women. Of those that describe themselves as their children’s primary care giver, an overwhelming 84% are female. Of those that said that their partner was the primary child carer, 89% were male. This strongly indicates that in a co-parenting environment, much of the responsibilities sit with mothers.

Prioritising health and well-being

Parents are also finding that the time they have for maintaining their physical and mental health has been drastically cut since becoming a parent.

More than half of parents surveyed (55%) said that since becoming a parent their physical health has gotten worse. Strikingly, 63% of these are women, which again points to the disproportionate toll that parenthood takes on mums.

Of all those surveyed, just 15% said their physical health has improved.

Maintaining relationships

ALDI’s Mammies and Daddies Report also shows the impact that parenting has on relationships, whether with a partner, other family members or with friends. As is the case with hobbies and other past times, parents are equally struggling to carve out dedicated time to spend with loved ones.

Almost two thirds of parents (63%) say that they are only able to give 10% of their time per week to “alone time” with their partner.

When it comes to maintaining relationships with friends, almost one quarter of parents (24%) say that they have no time to spend with friends, and a further 67% say they spend less than 10% of their time per week socialising with friends.

The financial cost of parenting

Almost two-thirds of mums and dads in Ireland (65%) say that becoming a parent has had a negative impact on their finances, with both mums and dads feeling this to more or less the same degree.

Interestingly, however, almost one in six (15%) believe that becoming a parent has improved their household finances – with men feeling this marginally more than women. This may be due to smarter household budgeting or more conscious budgeting to balance the costs of running a household with children.

Societal pressures

Revealingly, only a very small percentage of parents (4%) find it very easy to align with societal perceptions and pressures of being a good parent. Instead, more than half of all parents (53%) say that they find it difficult to meet these expectations, which suggests that parents’ own sense of worth and value to society is negatively perceived

by themselves.

Notably, more females (61%) than males (42%) find it challenging to meet societal standards of good parenting, which again may reflect higher perceived societal pressures or expectations on mothers.

By the same token, men report feeling a much larger societal pressure to meet career expectations. More than half of men (51%) say they feel this pressure, compared to one in four mums (25%).

Overall, however, the data highlights varying degrees of difficulty felt by all parents, male and female, with a substantial proportion of those surveyed finding it challenging or very challenging to align with society’s definition of good parenting.

Report launch

The ALDI Ireland Mammies and Daddies Report was launched at a parenting event hosted by the retailer at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) in Dublin City Centre.

The event was hosted by parenting columnist and ALDI Mamia and Me podcast host, Jen Hogan, who spoke about how important it was to be having this discussion for families right now:

“There is no doubt that being a parent is one of the most fulfilling, rewarding and – aside from the occasional tantrum – enjoyable experiences in life! But it is a job, and probably one of the only ones that comes without a “how-to” manual. Now is the moment to take stock on what Mums and Dads are telling us, where they feel the pressure points day-to-day, and what we can do as a society to recognise and acknowledge their role more in today’s Ireland.

“We’ve already come a long way and it’s fantastic to see the balance of responsibility in the household not only acknowledged but shifting. That said, there is absolutely more that can and should be done. Being a parent should never be about having to sacrifice work over family or relationships, nor should parents feel guilty about finding time for each other and for themselves.

“My hope is that today’s event and ALDI’s report becomes the catalyst for a wider national discussion around the role and challenges of parenting and what we can all do as employers, colleagues, friends and citizens to relieve some of the pressures on parents and change the narrative from sacrifice and compromise to value and worth.”

Echoing this sentiment, Padraig Barry, ALDI Communications Director said:

“At ALDI, we talk a lot about value, and, with this report, we wanted to talk about value in terms of parents and how they perceive their own value and worth.

“We know from listening to our customers just how important value is, which is why we are constantly working to deliver great quality groceries at the lowest prices in the market. Parenting should be a joyful experience – not without its challenges, of course – but the more we as businesses, society and citizens can do to support and help parents on their journey, the better for Irish society and our local communities up and down the country overall.

“We hope that this report sparks a different conversation around dinner tables tonight, and in the days and weeks to come.”