A recent study has revealed that it takes an average of seven adults to raise a single child in London, with grandmothers (34 per cent), teachers (33 per cent), aunts (29 per cent), uncles (24 percent), and older siblings (22 per cent) all playing key roles alongside parents, according to the results of a study amongst British parents and children.
Interestingly, the Asian way of raising children have always involved more relatives than any other community. A great deal of attention is bestowed on them by a large group of relatives and if anything happens, the child is usually left with relatives.
The survey, commissioned by My Nametags (https://www.mynametags.com), a leading name label manufacturer, suggests that the proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ rings true for families across London, with members of the wider family and community playing important roles in a child’s upbringing.
Nearly a quarter of those surveyed believe it takes as many as 10 people to bring up a child, highlighting the extent of those involved in raising a family in modern Britain.
Almost three quarters of parents in the city agree that the main attribute needed to raise a child is love, with this ranking higher than being related to the child or regularly looking after them.
For instance, great reliance is placed on grandmothers (35 per cent) and older siblings (31 per cent) for childcare whilst parents are at work. Parent’s friends (27 per cent), grandfathers (19 per cent), and neighbours (12 per cent) are also amongst those who are regularly called upon for childcare.
Parents in the city agree that older siblings are most likely to influence children’s bad habits (23 per cent), as well as having the biggest impact on their personality (20 per cent), whilst grandmothers are considered to teach children the most of anyone in the family.
School teachers are also critical to forming the personality of a child, with 20 per cent of parents believing they have the closest rapport with their children. In addition, teachers are often the only adults outside of the immediate family that parents in London are happy to let discipline their child.
The influence of teachers is also felt by children themselves as nearly a fifth say they look up to their teacher most, coming second only to their parents.
According to the study, there are several reasons why parents choose to involve their wider social networks when raising children, with nearly a quarter agreeing that it is an essential part of modern parenting. In addition to practical reasons, parents suggest that it improves children’s social skills (29 per cent) and helps them build strong relationships (27 per cent).
