Middle-class parents are falling prey to work pressures, choosing time at the office over time spent with their children.
This new UK research which gives rise to similar questions about Australian families, has found that the quality of middle-class family life is on the down-turn as working parents feel the pinch to work longer hours rather than spend time with their families at home.
The Department for Schools government study of nearly 4000 parents and children in the UK found that middle-class parents are 'cash rich' but 'time poor' with around 50 per cent feeling that their time would be better spent at home sharing a family meal and helping their kids with their homework.
Interestingly, only 44 per cent of parents in higher earning brackets spent time at home with their families four times a week, whereas 60 per cent of lower earners enjoyed regular family time at home.
"Parents feel completely inadequate. They read about parents who cook a fresh meal every night, chat with their kids and read them a story. That world does not exist anymore," says Margaret Morrissey, from lobby group Parents Outloud.
The research found that while work-pressured parents were compensating for a lack of time spent at home by taking their families on special weekend breaks, children in these strained families are actually more likely to take risks such as taking drugs, drinking and fighting with other children.
Yes, whether you’re a stay-at-home mum or dad, or work either part- or full-time, juggling the pressures of 21st Century parenting is a formidable task. The fact is, we’re a time-poor society, and unfortunately this can extend to time spent with family. It can be tough to find enough hours in the week to work, run a household, look after the kids, and fit in a social life too …
On the other hand, one enormous advantage of raising a family in the 21st Century is all the technology we have to help us run our lives more efficiently. With software like Microsoft® Office 2007, you can access a variety of templates with applications as wide-ranging as:
*keeping tabs on the family’s health (e.g. growth chart and health log);
*helping the kids do their best at school and play (e.g. homework timetable and activity list;
*hosting parties (e.g. kids’ invitation);
*managing your family finances (e.g. kids’ budget planner and grocery list)
*encouraging good behaviour (e.g. reward chart and behaviour agreement)
*putting effective home office strategies in place (e.g. work from home planner and to do list)
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