Parent Training And Designer Clothes Don’t Mix

According to a UNICEF report on the happiness and the wellbeing of children in the UK, it seems that parents from certain income brackets have little idea of what parent training involves.

In the UK, it is now quite common for parents to buy their kids designer clothes, branded electronic gadgetry and mobile phones in order to make up for the time they cannot spend at home with them. They are doing this apparently for two reasons. One is that they feel that they and their kids are under enormous pressure from advertising and the consumerist trap is irresistible. The second is to help them get rid of their guilt complex.

Well, if that is their idea of parent training or effective parenting skills they should think again.

There are several factors at play here. Let me tell you about a few of them :-

1. Many families or part of family units have to rear kids single handed and that, I can tell you is no joke!
2. There are very few extended families which have actually remained intact in the UK and the family structure is rather weak and brittle.
3. The UNICEF report found that the working hours for British parents is longer than in many other industrialized nations.
4. There is no limit on advertising on TV programs aimed at kids under twelve. They and their parents are bombarded with the message that consumerism is the way to a happy family life. If only it were so easy!

The UNICEF report actually asked the children what happiness and wellbeing actually meant for them. They never mentioned designer clothes or mobile phones when they answered these questions but said that they were really happy when they were having prime time with their parents and friends. They also pointed out lots of green time activities were really cool and they felt happy and contented when doing these .

The report went on to state that the UK was almost at the bottom of the list as regards child health and family relationships when compared with twenty one other industrialized nations. There could be many reasons for this. The looked particularly at Sweden and Spain.

In Sweden, the government no bans all advertising on kids’ TV programs so the consumerist trap is much less evident. There is also a much more equitable division of parenting tasks and household chores among spouses/partners and this can help to harmonise relationships and also ease tension. There is generally a higher standard of living and of course shorter working hours too.

In Spain, where extended families still are strong compact units, child rearing is easier on the parents themselves because the grandparents, aunts and uncles can all take part and can replace the ubiquitous TV which seems to be the principal babysitter in the UK and some other countries too!

When the survey interviewed parents, they all stressed that they felt the enormous pressure from society which had been fed by the aggressive and ever persuasive and pervasive advertising campaigns. They seemed to be unable to realize that the REAL problem was the lack of time they spent with their kids and they did not realize how buying presents was hardly the ideal solution.

The UNICEF has made some suggestions but of course if parents are under enormous economic pressures, there is little they can do but at least they should be able to take note of what the children want and try to implement the basics of parent training. That means setting limits and being loving and supportive at the same time.

The UNICEF has pointed the finger at local authorities and say that their policy of austerity measures which are nothing more than savage cuts to play and leisure facilities are detrimental to effective and supportive parenting.

Why not learn the very basics of parent training and not fall into the trap of buying designer clothes when your child just needs some of your time and attention. It is much cheaper too!