Parents Confused By Advice In The First Year
By Alison Steed
PARENTS spend the first year of their child’s life feeling “confused and isolated”, and four in five say conflicting advice from family, friends, books and websites is making their life harder.
Two thirds of new mums and dads are worrying that they are not looking after their baby properly, according to research from Aviva’s UK Life Business, and the pressure and strain of having a newborn child makes parents forget all about their financial priorities, such as getting life insurance to ensure their family is protected.
More than half of new mums do not feel they appear as confident as other parents, and more than two in five worry that their partners feel they are not coping.
The fear of the mother-in-law is alive and kicking too, as three in five young mums wither when she corrects their mistakes.
Louise Colley, head of protection products for Aviva, said: "The arrival of a new baby signals a complete change in lifestyle and, while the first year of a new baby's life is one of the most special, it's also one of the toughest times for parents.
"Friends and family are well-meaning with their advice, but it seems that sometimes this adds to the pressure and leaves new mums and dads suffering a crisis of confidence.”
To help, Aviva is offering £10,000 of free life cover to new parents signing up before their child is six months old, and running until the child’s first birthday.
Ms Colley said: “Although this is a fraction of the cover a family needs, it recognises that new parents do not always consider, or have the time to purchase, family protection when they have a young baby.
"I'm delighted that we're able to take away one concern new parents may have by offering the reassurance of free life cover. Anyone, like me, who is a parent knows only too well that the first 12 months can be really tough, as well as incredibly rewarding. We're going the extra mile with this free cover because we believe it's absolutely essential that new parents consider how they best protect their new family."
How tough being a new parent is:
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An average of just six hours sleep per night.
- In the first year: Change 2,007 nappies, feed the baby 1,789 times, and do 280 loads of washing.
- The average couple argues six times per month.
- Nearly a third of couples have sex less than once a month in the first year.
- Two thirds of parents fall asleep at least once in the day due to exhaustion.#
- Seven in 10 mums feel isolated because they are at home alone.
- More than half of mums think visitors are only there to see the baby.
- Nearly three in five mums worry their partner and friends now find them boring.
- For six in ten new parents, financial fears and a reduced household income make the first year particularly hard.
Source: Aviva
