It’s official, Mums really do rule the family roost in today’s society, according to a new study undertaken by family ‘Bakers Born & Bred’, Warburtons. The national survey of 1,000 people reveals that while 20 years ago almost half of all youngsters (48%) were more likely to be influenced by their dad when making career choices, today mums are equally as influential as their husbands.

Mums are the new dads:

The Warburtons family study reveals that the number of youngsters who are influenced by their dad when choosing a career path has fallen to a third (33%), while mum’s influence has steadily risen from 20% during the 1980’s to equal that of dad’s.

UK regions where mums sway is shown to be the strongest is in the South West of England, where a staggering 45% of children look to their mums for career advice over dad. Other areas where mum proved the more influential parent are the Midlands (35%) and Scotland (33%).

Leading psychologist, Dr David Lewis, comments: "These results are indicative of the increasing influence and importance of women in the workplace. Two decades ago many women either stayed at home or undertook fairly low grade work. Today, young people are likely to have mothers with high profile careers. As a result, any advice that mum gives is backed by a wealth of knowledge and personal experience."

It’s a family affair:
The study also confirms women’s reputation as good listeners with 33% of those surveyed saying they found it easier to discuss their career choices with their mum – less than a third (26%) said they would discuss careers with their dad. This was particularly pronounced among the under 24 year olds with 46% of those surveyed saying that mum would be the first person they would go to for career advice.

The Warburtons family study shows that family is more important for youngsters today when discussing jobs and career paths, compared to children of the 80’s, when the majority of kids (34%) preferred to talk to close friends rather than family when making career choices.

Following in your mother’s footsteps:
It would seem that the old adage of following in your father’s footsteps is now a thing of the past as 1 in 10 youngsters are now working in the same profession as their mothers, compared to only 1 in 20 following dad’s road to success. Forty years ago only 1 in 22 children looked to emulate their mother’s job choice compared to 1 in 14 following in their father’s footsteps.

Men truly are creatures of habit:
We’ve always known it but now we have the proof - women are more open to change than men. The Warburtons family study reveals that a surprising 38% of male Britons would stay in the same job until they retired, however, only 28% of the UK’s women agree. A vast majority of women (40%) say they would prefer to change career more than twice in their lifetime.

Dr Lewis explains: "This is a rather surprising result as it is men who are most commonly associated with restlessness, while women are known for wanting to settle down and build roots whether it is in their domestic life or careers. What these results show is the new found confidence and ambition that many women now have to succeed in their careers."

Jonathan Warburton, a fifth generation Warburton and Warburtons Chairman comments: "It’s great to see what a vital role the family plays, particularly mum, in shaping the next generation of professionals. Warburtons is a fifth generation family business so we’re very aware of the importance of family influence! It would be great to hear more about how other people have been influenced by their families on the road to success, email me at [email protected]."