Report: New Parents

Media & Technology

1. What TV programmes does your child watch? Which ones are their favourites? Why?
Respondents revealed that their children love programmes with lots of noise, music and singing and preferred interactive shows with real people to cartoons. The most popular shows were cBeebies, the Playhouse Disney channel, Thomas the Tank engine, Bob the Builder, Tweenies and Barney.

2. Did/do you buy any specific parenting/family magazines?
Mother & Baby was the top title, along with parenting and parenting Today.

3. What websites do you/ your children visit?
Parenting websites were used by nearly all of the respondents
Top sites include Bounty and Mothercare. Parents also visit sites that sell nappies such as Pampers and Huggies. Respondents love the amount of information that is available and use the sites for everything including birthing tips, advice on buying baby products and looking for baby names.

4. At what age do you think you will buy your child a mobile phone?
Starting Secondary school was when respondents believe they will buy their children phones. However issues of safety meant others would let have them from seven years of age. A considerable majority would prefer to wait until they are 16.

5.Have you used the internet to buy products for your child? If so what and why?
Sites Blooming Marvellous and KiddyCare were mentioned as the best websites to gain information and buy products, but Ebay and Amazon are also used to buy sheets, toys and books.
Having items delivered to the door makes internet shopping more desirable and was used to purchase cots, baby seats, pushchairs and high chairs.

Retail/Shopping Habits

1. Which shops do you use to purchase clothes for your children? Which ones are the best? Worst?
Next was the overall winner due to the choice and affordable range available. Respondents like to buy from a range of retailers from low price Primark and H & M for socks to House of Fraser when they want to buy something a bit special for parties. Gap was also praised for good clothes.

2. What are the top toy shops? Why? the best supermarkets? Why?
The Early Learning Centre offers educational and creative toys making it a clear winner with new parents.
Woolworths and Toy R Us have a good range of toys and Hamleys was reserved a treat for children. Mothercare was considered by some as the best brand because of helpful staff and easy exchanges.

3. How did you decide where to buy your baby accessories (pram, cot, car seat, etc)?
New parents like to research items prior to purchase but Mothercare is often the first port of call due to its established reputation and recommendations from family members.
Parents looking for bargains use the internet and the high street to compare prices and like to get value for money.

4. Which shops offer the best facilities for parents? (Separate baby changing /parent rooms, wide aisles for buggies? Crèches?)
Mothercare and John Lewis were crowned the best shops for parents with children.
What makes Mothercare so good is its helpful staff, bottle warmers, nursing facilities and excellent changing facilities.
Others love John Lewis because its clean, enough changing mats, good size changing facilities and friendly staff.
Ikea was also mentioned as a child friendly store due to its play area and restaurant.
However many parents mentioned that shops could do a lot more for parents by adding areas in shops to entertain children while parents shop.

5. What could shops do to make things easier for parents out shopping with their children?
Answers included more toilets in shops as parents often have to trek long distances to find a toilet for their children while shopping.
Making aisles wider and adding more automatic doors, ramps and lifts would make shopping with a buggy easier.
Parents also want clean facilities and extras for babies, including free nappies and wet wipes in baby changing rooms.

Work & Leisure

1. What maternity / paternity package does your company offer and where would you make changes? (Half pay during maternity leave, nursery benefits, tax credits?)
Most respondents were offered six months paid leave and a further six months unpaid. However a small minority of respondents had to seek legal help in order to secure their full legal entitlement. Male respondents were given between 10 days and three weeks off.

2. How helpful and supportive were your employers during and after your pregnancy and what could they have done to improve your situation? (Time off for appointments/ scans, flexi time….working from home, cross over period with maternity cover)
The majority of employers were supportive both during and after pregnancy, allowing respondents time off for appointments and scans. However, there is a strong spilt between the support received between permanent and temporary staff.

3. What were your work plans after the birth and how did they change, and why? (Return to full time work, part time work, not to return)
Many of respondents ended up taking more time off than they anticipated before the birth. Others only went back to their jobs part time, preferring to stay with their children.

4. How stressful was it to return to work? Were you ready to return? (Feel pressured to return as soon as possible? Feel guilty at leaving your child?)
The male respondents did not find it hard at all to return to work. However, the women found it stressful to juggle childcare and work and most felt considerable guilt at leaving their children and miss them while working.

5. How do you now cope with balancing work hours and home life?
Late nights and early mornings combine to make balancing work and life difficult for working mums.
Having a flexible job and a supportive partner makes things easier.

6. In what ways has having a child affected your life? How have you changed as a person?
Major changes include going less and having less time to themselves. But respondents believed the changes are outweighed by the happiness having a child brings and many said having a child had given them a purpose.

Finance

1. What do you think of the new government children bond scheme? Have you invested yours yet? Where and why?
Respondents thought the scheme was a good idea but many disagreed with the practice of letting the child have sole access to the money when they are eighteen, worrying that the money would be wasted.
Though the idea was praised, some thought the amount received wasn’t enough.

2. Have you set up savings accounts for your child? What is the money for?
Savings accounts have been set up and parents hope the money will be used for education, cars and deposits for houses.

3. Do you spend or save child benefit money? Is the amount you receive enough? How much do you think it should be per week?
More spend their child benefit than save it, though many try to save part of it. Respondents believed the amount should be raised to up to £40 a week in order to cover essentials.

4. How has having a child affected your financial situation and expenditure?
Parents learn to economise and many said that they spend very little or think twice before spending money on themselves now.
Being more cautious with their spending and making money go further have changed their spending patterns.

5. Has having a child affected your attitude towards money? Have you taken up any new products? Will, life insurance?
Making provisions for the future, including wills and life insurance have become more of a priority for the new parents. Others are trying tospend as little as possible now in order to give it to their children later in life when it is needed more.

Top Brands

1. What are the top baby clothing brands? How much would you spend on an item of clothing?
Gap and Next come out as the top children’s clothing supplier.
Gap was rated for its top quality and long lasting apparel that wash well. Mothercare was praised for producing clothes that are fantastic quality at a good price. Supermarket clothing was also popular and Cherooke (Tesco’s Range) is particularly stain resistant.

2. Do you buy specific brands of baby food? Which ones? Is it important to buy organic? Why?
The majority of the respondents would only buy organic food when their child was younger but are not as fussed now and feed them the same food they eat.
Eating organic makes parents feel less guilty about spending time away from their children.

3. Are there any particular toys that are popular with your child/their friends? (Are they influenced by TV programmes, i.e Tweenies, Fimbles etc)
Toys that make different noises, sing or allow the child to make noise (including drum kits) were the most popular answers. Dolls and Barbie are still a top choice and TV merchandise including teletubbies, and postman Pat are big hits.

4. What are the top prams/nappies/ baby furniture etc?
Pampers were slightly more popular than Huggies because they are stronger, more absorbent and are less wet during the night.
However, many respondents prefer own brand makes of nappies, which they believe are just as good and less pricey.
Mamas and Papas and Maclaren were the most mentioned make of buggies.

5. Do you buy more specific cleaning/safety products and what do you look for when buying them?
Having anti bacterial products around the house is essential for new parents. Many rely on wipes and sprays, including Dettol.
Time spent cleaning increases and issues of safety, including cupboard and drawer locks were mentioned.

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