The new breed of parents are using social media as their most trusted source of inspiration for what to do with the kids, according to new research.
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What have been dubbed Parents 2.0, the research found that parents are skipping socialising with friends in order to spend more time with their children and it also sees dad crowned the king of playtime.
According to Chad Valley’s new study, 45 per cent of parents said social media is the most useful source of inspiration when looking for ways to entertain their little ones.
In response to these findings, Chad Valley is kick-starting the launch of #100daysofplay which encourages parents nationwide to share fun ideas for playtime on Facebook and Twitter, to inspire other mums and dads during the long summer months.
Rob Quartermain, Head of Play at Chad Valley, said: “Experts say that 15 minutes of play a day can encourage healthy childhood development, so it’s not surprising that 82 per cent of parents feel playtime is important in helping to grow their child’s imagination. Parents also told us that they frequently use photos, tips and suggestions shared by other parents online as a source of inspiration when stumped for ideas of what to do with the kids.
“We’re calling out to mums and dads nationwide to share their ideas using #100daysofplay and celebrate playtime – it’s for families by families. We just want to get the plastic play ball rolling.”
Child psychologists, parenting experts, industry bodies and charitable organisations alike have championed the power of play as a necessary part of a child’s development, showing that just 15 minutes a day can help improve learning and spark greater levels of creativity.
Parents 2.0 also take a more active role in family life. With growing numbers of stay-at-home dads, Chad Valley’s study also reveals that children think dad is fast becoming the playtime favourite; over a third of those said it’s because he’s not afraid to be silly and has great ideas. Mum is still the queen of playtime. Brothers and sisters come in third and grandma isn’t far behind in fourth place.
Whilst every parent knows that Sunday morning lie-ins are the first thing to go when starting a family, mums and dads are also increasingly giving up some of life’s other little luxuries in order to spend more time with their children.
Nearly half of UK parents said they regularly ditch a drink with friends in order to play with the kids at home, whilst one third say they’ve taken up a family hobby so everyone can spend more time together. One in ten said they’ve even hired an extra pair of hands around the house so they can drop the hoovering in favour of the odd game of hop-scotch.
Parenting expert and author, Tanith Carey, said: “Today’s modern mums and dads are thinking of more inventive ways to juggle their commitments to make sure they have enough time to spend with the kids.
“According to Chad Valley’s research, 30 per cent of UK parents have asked their employer for greater flexibility at work in order to get a better work / life balance. The launch of #100daysofplay is a fantastic way for busy mums and dads to get inspired about new ways to play.”
Catherine Howell, Collections Manager at V&A Museum of Childhood, said: “In the modern world, demands on parents are constantly changing, particularly when it comes to keeping children entertained. While many families still enjoy playing with the more traditional toys and games of previous generations, today’s parents can share play ideas much more readily to inspire each other and their children.”
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