Bradley Cooper took his mother to the Oscars
It’s not just big celeb stars like Russell Brand and Bradley Cooper who turn to their mamas for advice and as a plus one for events, as nearly half of men questioned by adult learning website ‘Love to Learn’ ahead of Mother’s Day, unashamedly described themselves as such.
Four in ten admitted their behaviour had seen them branded a mummy’s boy by friends or family.
Social class was a major contributing factor in the results, with the higher the salary, job responsibility and prospects, the more likely a man was to be a mummy’s boy.
Upper-class men with senior managerial jobs were a third more likely to define themselves as mummy’s boys than their working class equivalents.
Nearly two-thirds of men who described themselves as chief executives, surgeons, senior civil servants and the like admitted that they were mummy’s boys.
That compared to only one in five men in working class professions such as casual labouring, and two in five men who described themselves as semi-skilled or manual workers.
Gill Jackson, Director of Love to Learn, said: “It’s heart-warming that so many men clearly value their mums and make a real effort to stay close. We believe there is nothing wrong with being a mummy’s boy if it means you’re a good son and pay attention to your mother.”
Even the most macho of men like to treat their mum like a queen, so there is no shame in simply admitting your mum’s a very important person in your life.
Across the social board, the average man was nearly three times more likely to go to his mum for advice than his dad. And a fifth would rather go to their mum than their partner in the event that they lost their job.
Three out of ten men said their mother would be their first port of call if they had financial problems. However, when it came to calling in sick at work, it was overwhelmingly wives and girlfriends who men preferred to make the call.
Geographically, men in Northern Ireland and north-east England were the most likely to describe themselves as mummy’s boys (82 per cent and 63 per cent respectively), while men in south-east England and Scotland were the least likely to define themselves as that (33 per cent and 39 per cent respectively).
London was split 50-50 among men who admitted being mummy’s boys, and men who didn’t.
Love to Learn questioned 1,000 British men and women about a range of issues relating to their mums, their family and social relationships.
The good news for mums was that half of men questioned said they spoke to their mother several times a week, and a quarter made sure it was once a week. However, one in ten men admitted contacting their mum less frequently than a few times a month.
When it came to making plans for Mother’s Day, mums and wives were neck and neck. Four out of ten men said they put their mums first, while another four out of ten put their wife first and only one in ten said they put their girlfriend first.
When it came to Mother’s Day gifts, buying mum flowers was most popular; closely followed by taking her out for a meal; then cooking her dinner. Though overall, just 43 per cent of men questioned said they would be buying their mum a card.
Gill added: “Our research has also shown that Britain’s mums are desperately hoping for something a bit more thoughtful than a bunch of petrol station flowers or a box of chocs for Mothering Sunday this year.
“Two-thirds of mums want a gift that relates to their hobbies and interests, or something with long-term potential rather than a quick treat. And it’s not that difficult to find a gift that keeps on giving either.
“Our new series of courses for adults who want to keep learning would make great gifts for a mum. They’re a quick and easy present to organise too as you can purchase a course on our site in just a few clicks.”
The ‘Love to Learn’ survey also revealed stark differences when it came to the amount blokes are prepared to spend on gifts for mums compared to presents for wives and girlfriends.
One in five men said they would be spending between £26 and £40 on a Mother’s Day present for their mums. However, only 16 per cent said they would be spending the same amount on their wife, partner or girlfriend on behalf of the kids for Mother’s Day.
Those questioned believed a mummy’s boy was someone who ran key life decisions past their mum, always took her side and called her first when things go wrong.
The results make sobering reading for single men – because 41 per cent of women questioned for the survey said they would never date a man they suspected of being a mummy’s boy.
In fact, only eight per cent of women said being a mummy’s boy showed a man cared about women. Nearly a third said it was ‘nice but a little bit sad’.
However, Richard Innes, features editor of men’s magazine ZOO, said: “This research overwhelmingly shows that Britain’s blokes love their mums and that’s nothing to be ashamed about.
“We’ve all had moments when we’ve felt our mum is the only person we can turn to. If that makes us occasional mummy’s boys, so be it!
"Even the most macho of men like to treat their mum like a queen, so there is no shame in simply admitting your mum’s a very important person in your life. And if a girlfriend or partner doesn’t like that, it probably says more about them than it does about you.
“Britain’s mums deserve all the love and respect they get, so I hope the men of the nation are putting plenty of thought into their Mother’s Day gifts this year!”
The good news for mummy’s boys is that nearly 40 per cent of women said they would give a bloke a chance even if they suspected him of being one, while five per cent said it didn’t bother them at all.
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Tagged in Parenting relationships children Mother's Day Mums Parenting News