Modern parenting can feel lonely.
Many UK parents say modern family life is becoming more isolated and unsupported
More than one in 10 UK parents say they have no one to rely on for help with raising their children, despite most believing support from others is essential to family life.
A study of 1,000 mums and dads with children aged 10 and under found 71 per cent said they would have been lost without help from others. On average, parents said they have five people they can turn to, with three close contacts on speed dial.
But many said building that support network has become harder due to busy work schedules (42 per cent), living far from relatives (41 per cent) and not wanting to burden others (37 per cent).
Parents also pointed to friends being at different life stages (32 per cent), weaker local communities (25 per cent) and smaller family networks (24 per cent).
As traditional support systems shrink, more than half of parents (56 per cent) said they now rely on online communities such as parenting group chats, Facebook groups and Instagram pages.
Melissa Cohen, spokesperson for Vitabiotics Pregnacare, which commissioned the research, told The Sun: “Support during pregnancy and while parenting can make all the difference, but not everyone has a village around them.
“Many are living further away than ever from friends and family and building a village from scratch can seem like a daunting prospect.
“But it doesn’t have to be vast, with a crowd of people around you.
“Whether it’s physical support, someone on the end of the phone or even online, it all helps to give you guidance, advice or simply just an ear when you need it.”
The research, commissioned by Vitabiotics for Pregnacare, found 42 per cent said the biggest benefit of having support was feeling less alone.
A further 41 per cent said it helped during difficult moments and reduced stress or anxiety, while 34 per cent said it gave them more confidence in parenting decisions.
Antenatal teacher, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, added: “As humans we are meant to parent as a tribe, sharing the roles (both emotional and physical) with each other.
“We simply weren’t meant to do it alone.
“We are all better parents when we feel like we are part of a nurturing community.”