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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Lifestyle
Martin Winter

Over four in five parents say raising a child is the best thing that ever happened to them

More than four in five parents or guardians (84%) believe becoming a parent was the best thing that ever happened to them – with cuddles cited as the greatest part of raising a child, a study has found.

Other favourite parts of watching a child grow up include watching their personalities develop, hearing some of the funny things they say – and them making you laugh.

And 23%, of the 1,300 parents, guardians, or carers polled, who are responsible for children aged 13 or under, also enjoy sharing new experiences with their little ones for the first time.

However, two-thirds of those polled also felt that becoming a parent affected their mental health – with 38% saying the most mentally challenging period was before their youngster turned three.

More than a third (35%) say they did not have a strong support network around them to help them raise their child.

And just six in ten (61%) feel they had enough support and resources on becoming a parent during the first six months.

But two-thirds feel parenting impacted their mental health - particularly up to their child turning three (Jamie Grill/Getty Images)

The research was commissioned by Calpol, which is marking its five-year partnership with the NSPCC Helpline by launching its “Don't Bottle it Up!” campaign.

It emerged that nearly a quarter (24%) revealed they felt a “lot” of pressure to form an immediate connection with their little ones.

However, nearly one in five (19%) also said that having kids can help you appreciate the little things in life all the more.

Kam Thandi, head of the NSPCC Helpline, said: “Parenting can look different to everyone.

“Whether you have learnt your parenting behaviours from previous generations, or have formed your own individual parenting style, a strong support network really goes a long way.

“So it’s just as important to look after your own mental health as well as your child’s wellbeing.”

The study also found 14% love listening to the conversations kids have with each other, while 12% similarly enjoy feeling like a “hero” – after doing something minor like replacing a toy’s batteries.

And of those with more than one child, 72% believe they were a “better” parent the second time around, the OnePoll research revealed.

Parents also consider patience to be the most important attribute for guardians to have (41%) – followed by a loving nature (30%), and being ready for the unexpected (20%).

Calpol, along with the NSPCC Helpline, is hosting a free online panel discussion on parental worries on July 10, from 12pm until 1pm.

THE 25 BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING A PARENT TO UNDER-13s:

  1. The cuddles
  2. Watching their personalities develop
  3. They make you laugh
  4. Hearing some of the funny things they say
  5. Having new experiences with them for the first time
  6. They make you appreciate the little things in life more
  7. Reliving the magic of Christmas through a child's experience again
  8. Seeing them do something you've taught them
  9. The many quirky and wonderful questions they ask
  10. Birthday celebrations
  11. Seeing the world through their eyes
  12. Learning new things alongside them
  13. Watching kids' films together
  14. Reading bedtime stories together
  15. Listening to conversations they have with other children
  16. Feeling like their hero when you do something minor, like replacing the batteries in a toy
  17. The cute compliments they give
  18. You appreciate your own parents more
  19. Taking them to the zoo
  20. Getting to make friends with other mums/dads/caregivers
  21. Hearing them talk to themselves in bed at night
  22. Buying them toys you secretly want to play with yourself
  23. Still being able to go into soft play as an adult
  24. Getting to buy toys and browse in toy shops
  25. Making novelty bakes at occasions like Easter

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