1Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years

STATE OF THE NATION: UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO THE EARLY YEARSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Foreword 41. Introduction 62. Summaryoffindings 83. Conclusions 184. References 20

CONTENTS

3Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years

The primary research, analysis and reporting was conducted by Ipsos MORIThereportwritingteamwasledbyKellyBeaverandconsistedofSarahKnibbs, SylvieHobdenandJulietteAlbone.ThewiderIpsosMORIresearchteamincludedOliverSweet,JessicaLong,LucyEvans,LucyLindleyandGaryWelch.

TheRoyalFoundationofTheDukeandDuchessofCambridgeprovidedvaluedassistanceandadvicethroughouttheresearchprogramme.

IpsosMORIwouldliketothankinparticularAidaCable,CarolineHopkins, ImogenHirschandRachelMoriarty.

TheinvaluablesupportandgenerosityofKindred2enabledthisresearch tobeconducted.

TheDuchessofCambridge’sEarlyYearsSteeringGroup

MembersofTheDuchessofCambridge’sEarlyYearsSteeringGroupprovidedexpertadvicetoinformtheresearchdesignandinterpretationofthedata.

TheresearchteamaregratefultoProfessorJaneBarlow,NaomiEisenstadtCB,ProfessorLeonFeinstein,ProfessorPeterFonagyOBE,DrAlainGregoire,ProfessorEamonMcCrory,andEdVainker.

Research participants Finally,theresearchteamwouldliketoextendparticularthankstothemanypeoplewhogaveuptheirtimetoparticipateinthesurveys,thequalitativeresearchandthe5BigQuestions.Thisresearchwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheirthoughtfulinput.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Our future will be shaped by what we do todaySciencetellsusthatachild’sexperiencesfromconceptionthroughtheirfirstfiveyearswillgoontoshapetheirnext50.Ittellsusthatthekindofchildrenweraisetoday,willreflectthekindofworldwewillliveintomorrow.Ittellsusthatinvestinginthestartof lifeisnotanindulgence,buteconomically,sociallyandpsychologicallyvitaltoaprosperoussociety.

OverthelastnineyearsTheDuchessofCambridgehasheardthisfirst-handfromthosewhoaretacklingsomeofsociety’stoughestchallenges.Shehasseenoverandoveragainhowoftenproblemscanbetracedbacktotheearliestyearsofsomeone’slifeandithasbecomeherambitiontobringaboutchangeinthisarea.

But change can only be achieved together ThisreportrepresentstheviewsofalmosthalfamillionpeoplefromacrosstheUnitedKingdom,makingitthelargestpublicstudyeverconductedontheearlyyears.Compiledthroughqualitativeethnographicresearch,nationallyrepresentativesurveys,anopenonlinequestionnaireandadedicatedsurveywhichexplorestheimpactsofCOVID-19onparents,itprovidesanunrivalledinsightintopublicattitudestowardsthiscrucialtopicandlaysthegroundworkforaction.

Andactioniswhatweneed.Withinthesepageslietheopportunitiesandobstacleswhichwemustcollectivelyembraceifwearetogiveeverychildinthiscountrythe verybestoddsinlife,oddsthatthepublicthinkwehavearealcapacitytoinfluence,since98%placeatleastequalimportanceontheroleofnurtureaswellasnatureon achild’soutcomes.

Todososuccessfully,wemustmakeourreasoningclear.Asitstands,onlyoneinfourpeoplerecognisethespecificimportanceoftheperiodfromconceptionto5insecuringhealthandhappinessinadulthood.Yetweknowthatgapsinachievementatschoolentrymakeupasizableshareoflaterachievementgaps;justoneofthelifelonggenerationalinequalitiesthatcouldbeavoidedwiththerightintervention.

Thequalityoftherelationshipsthatsurroundchildren,inadditiontoessentialslikegoodnutritionandasafeenvironment,isthereforekeytobuildingthefoundationsoffuturesuccess.When90%ofpeopleinourstudycitedparentalmentalhealthandwellbeingasacriticalfactorinachild’sdevelopment,theymadethatsimplepoint:thatsupportingthechildstartswithsupportingtheadult.

FOREWORD

5Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years

Supportisthekeyword,becauseitcanbehardforparentstodoitalone.Ourresearchshowsthatonly10%ofexpectantparentsmentionedtakingtimetolookafterthemselvesbeforetheirbabyarrived,whileathirdexpecttheCOVID-19pandemictohaveanegativeimpactontheirlong-termwellbeing.

So how can we help? Well,itstartswithkeepinganopenmind.Ahighnumberofparents,70%,admittedtofeelingjudgedbyothers,with48%sayingthishadtakenanemotionaltoll.Weabsolutelywantsocietytofeelinvolvedinthecollectivenurturingofthenextgeneration,butit’simportantthatwemakethisapositivemission,givingparentsencouragementinplaceofcritique.

Forweknowthatthelastyearhasplacedanenormousstrainonthosesourcesofencouragement.Parentsreportthattheyrelymostoftenonthebackingoftheirfamilyandfriends,yettheglobalpandemichasforcedusintosilosofisolation.Parentallonelinesshasrocketedfrom38%to63%andthepercentageofthosewhofeeluncomfortableaskingforhelphasdoubled.

Mostconcerningly,thisimpacthasbeengreatestonthoselivingthehardestlives,withresponsesfromthoseindeprivedareasconsistentlyshowinghigherlevelsoflonelinessandlesslikelytohaveexperiencedanincreaseincommunitysupport.

Buttherehavebeentriumphs.Wehaveseenpeoplealloverthecountrywhohavecometogether,whohavelentahand,helpedwiththeshopping,sharedasmile.

Todaythereishopeofanendtothiscrisis,butifwecanretainonething,letitbethatspirit.Becauseifweallplayourparttoaddressparents’feelingsofinsecurityandloneliness,buildtheirconfidenceandknowledgeandcreatenetworksoftrustedsupport,thenwewillgoalongwaytobuildingahappier,healthiersociety.

OnbehalfofTheRoyalFoundation,IwouldliketoexpressmysincerethankstoKindred2 formakingthisreportpossibleandtothepeopleacrosstheUnitedKingdomwhohavegenerouslygivenuptheirtimeandsharedtheirviews.

Tothosewhoareabouttobrowsethroughitspages,Ihopeyouwilljoinusinraisingthisissuetotheplaceitbelongs:rightattheforefrontofsociety’sconsciousness.

Jason Knauf CEO,TheRoyalFoundation

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1.

This report sets out the findings from the most comprehensive study of attitudes towards bringing up children from conception to 5 years ever undertaken in the UK. Thousands of parents and non-parents have participated to help shed light on how we approach the early years of life for children in the UK.

1.1 Background and rationale for this programme of researchThefirstfiveyearsofchildhood,aremorepivotalfordevelopment,futurehealthandhappiness,thananyothersinglemomentinourlifetime.AspartofTheDuchessofCambridge’sworkontheseearlyyears,HerRoyalHighnessandTheRoyalFoundationconvenedaSteeringGroupcomprisingacademics,practitionersandcharities.

TheRoyalFoundationundertookarapidevidencereviewtoexploreexistingdatarelatingtopublicperceptionsoftheearlyyearsintheUnitedKingdom.Thisevidencereviewidentifiedarichbodyofresearchontheexperienceandbehavioursofparentsandfamiliesthroughouttheearlyyears,andonparentalattitudestowardsspecificpolicies.However,itfoundagapinknowledgeabouthowthisperiod,andtheroleofparentsthroughouttheseyears,areperceivedbyparentsandthegeneralpublic.Howpeopleviewthefirstfiveyearsoflifeisanimportantdeterminantoftheprioritytheearlyyearsaregivenbyparents,organisations,andwidersociety.

Respondingtothisevidencegap,TheRoyalFoundationcommissionedasubstantialpieceofsocialresearchin2019tounderstandtheUK’sperceptionsabouttheperiodfromconceptiontoage5(“theearlyyears”).Thisstudyaddressesanimportantknowledgegap:whatarepublicperceptionsoftheearlyyearsintheUK?

AswellasinformingTheRoyalFoundation’sownearlyyearsstrategy,wehopethatthisresearchwillbeusedwidelybyothers.Theambitionisfortheresearchtoprovidearobustbaselineunderstandingofattitudeswhichcanbeusedbyallthoseworkingin,orinterested,intheearlyyears.

1.2 Methodology Thestudymethodologyismixedmethods,withseveralsizeablequantitativesurveys (preandduringtheCOVID-19pandemic)alongsideobservationalandqualitative researchwithparentsandfamilies.Thisreportintegratesfindingsfromthefollowingstrandsofresearch:

INTRODUCTION

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Face-to-face survey(December2019-January2020): Anationallyrepresentativeface-to-facesurveytoproviderobust,reliableandrepresentativestatisticsontheviewsoftheUKpopulation.Intotal,3,733respondentswereinterviewedfacetoface.Toallowanalysisbynation,andbyparentsof0to5-year-olds,moreinterviewswerecarriedoutamongthesegroups.Findingsdiscussedthroughoutthisreportarefromthissurvey,unlessotherwisestated.

5 Big Questions (January21st-February21st,2020): Anextensivepublicsurveywithoverhalfamillionpeopleresponding;435,141ofwhichwerefromtheUK.*Anonlinequestionnairewassharedasanopen-link,soeveryonewaswelcometoprovideananswer.Theintentofthe‘5BigQuestions’wastosparkanationalconversationabouttheearlyyears.ThesurveyreceivedalargeresponsehoweveritwasnotintendedtoberepresentativeoftheUKpopulationasitsimplyreflectstheviewsofthosewhotookpart.Findingsfromthe5BigQuestionsareshowninblueboxesthroughoutthereport.

Explanatory qualitative research (February2020): In-depthqualitativeinterviewswith40parentsofa0to5-year-oldwhohadtakenpartintheface-to-facesurvey,andanonlinecommunity**toexplorefindingsinmoredepth.Findingsfromthisaspectoftheresearcharedescribedas‘conversationswithparents’throughoutthereport.

Observational research (September-October2019): “Ethnographicresearch”with12familiesand4communityleaderinterviews.Researchersimmersedthemselvesinthehomeenvironmentoffamilies,followingtheirdailyroutinestogainadetailedunderstandingoftheirattitudestobringingupchildren.Casestudiesfromthisstrandarepresentedthroughoutthefullreportingreyboxes.

Online survey (October2020): ThestrandsofresearchdescribedabovewereconductedbetweenSeptember2019andFebruary2020beforethecoronaviruspandemicintheUKandworldwide.Anonlinesurveyof1,000parentsof0-5swascarriedoutinOctober2020toidentifyanychangesinparents’experiencesofthepreceding6months,whentheCOVID-19pandemichasbeenaffectingeveryaspectoflifeintheUK.Reflectionsonparentattitudesovertheperiodofthepandemicareshowningreenboxes.

*UKresponseswereidentifiedusingIPaddress.Atotalof527,898completedthesurveyglobally

**Theonlinecommunitywasavirtualgroupofparentsdiscussingkeyissuesarisingfromthequantitativeresearch

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Thereisnowscientificconsensusthattheperiodfromconceptiontoage5iscriticalinprovidingthefoundationforfuturephysicalandmentalhealth,aswellasoverallwellbeingandproductivity.1Thisresearchrevealsadiscrepancybetweencurrentperceptionsamongparentsandthisscientificunderstanding.Equally,itshinesalightontheparticularchallenges,aswellasopportunities,thatmanyparentsfacetoday.Thesefindingshighlighttheneedforimprovedtranslationandincreasedaccessibilityofscientificresearchtoparents.Theyalsomakecleartheimportanceofcultivatingandsustaininggreatersupportnetworksforparentsandensuringparentsfeeltheyhaveaccesstoawiderangeoftrustedsourcesofsupport,particularlytoenhancetheirmentalhealthandwellbeing.Finally,theyraiseakeyquestionastohowsocietyasawholecanbemoresupportiveofparents,carersandfamiliesintheearlyyears.

Parents recognise that they play a key role in their child’s developmentParents’understandingofthenatureversusnurturedebate(i.e.whetherchildren’sdevelopmentispre-determinedbytheirgenesorwhethertheenvironmentinwhichtheygrowupdetermineshowtheydevelop)affectattitudesandbehavioursinbringingupchildren.Indeed,afatalisticbeliefthatthewaychildrenareatbirthdetermineshowtheydevelopcanaffecthowparentsinteractwiththeirchildren.Researchhasshownthatabeliefthattheonlyfactorwhichdeterminesachild’sdevelopmentaretheirgeneticscan,initself,adverselyaffectchilddevelopment.2

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS2.

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Positively,thevastmajorityofparentsrecognisethatchildren’sbrainsdonotdevelopindependentlyoftheirsurroundings.Almostnineinten(88%)parentsofa0to5-year-oldrecognisethatdevelopmentintheconceptiontoage5periodisinfluencedbytheenvironment(nurture).Just7%ofparentsholdthefatalisticbeliefthatachild’soutcomesarewhollypre-determinedbytheirgenetics(nature).

Reflectingparents’awarenessoftheirnurturingrole,theyrecognisetheimportanceofunderstandinghowchildren’sbrainsdevelop.Threeinfourparentsof0-5s(77%)reportedthatitisveryimportanttoknowwhataffectsthedevelopmentofchildren’sbrainsandmindsduringpregnancy,increasingto83%whothinkitisimportanttoknowaboutbrainandminddevelopmentwhenchildrenareaged0-5.

5 Big Questions insight Almostallparticipants(98%)believethattheexperiencesofachildintheearlyyears(i.e.nurture)influencehowachilddevelopsfromthestartofpregnancytoage5.Alargeproportion(42%)believethatnurture,ratherthannature,playstheprimaryroleindetermininglifelongoutcomes.

WhenaskedwhatismostimportantforchildrengrowingupintheUKtoliveahappyadultlife,themostimportantfactorfor60%ofrespondentswas“Goodphysicalandmentalhealth”.

The impact of COVID-19: Mostparents(63%)reportthattheyhavebeenabletospendmorequalitytimewiththeirchildovertheperiodoftheCOVID-19pandemictodate.Thevastmajorityoftheseparents(83%)saythattheyarelikelytocontinuetospendmorequalitytimewith their child in the future.

However,thispositiveexperienceisnotuniversal.Parentswhohaveexperiencedfinancialdifficultiesduringlockdownorwhodonotlivewithapartneraremorelikelythanaveragetosaytheyhavespentlessqualitytimewiththeirchildsincethestartoflockdown(13%and16%respectivelycomparedwith9%average).

Parents tend to underestimate the importance of the early yearsSciencetellsusirrefutablythattheconceptiontoage5periodiscrucial.Throughoutthisperiodthebrainisdevelopingrapidly.Ourexperienceslaydownthefoundationsoftheskills,knowledgeandconfidencethathelpusnavigatefuturechallengesandrealiseourfullpotential.Thismeanschildrenintheearlyyearsareespeciallysensitivetoinfluencesthatpromotetheacquisitionofperceptual,motor,cognitive,language,social,andself-regulationskills.3Whenchildrendonotexperienceadequatecareandattention(andlove),thiscanleadtopooroutcomes,includingphysicalandmental

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healthproblemsinlaterlife.4Forexample,thereisnowaconsiderablebodyofresearchontheadverseimpactofneglectonthearchitectureofthedevelopingbrain.5

However,ourresearchshowsthatrecognitionoftheimportanceoftheearlyyearsisfarfromuniversal.Evenamongparentsofa0to5-year-old,recognitionofthefirstfiveyearsasbeingmostimportantforhealthandhappinessinadulthoodislow,with31%statingthatthisisthemostimportantdevelopmentalperiod.*Thismeansthat7in10parentsofa0to5-year-old(69%)arenotalignedwiththescientificconsensus6 that the conception toage5periodiscriticalinprovidingthefoundationofhealthandhappiness.

Furthermore,parentsunderestimatetheimportanceoftheconceptionto18monthsperiodinparticular.Scientificevidenceshowsthatbraindevelopmentduringthistimeisfasterthananyotherperiodofdevelopment.6However,justoveroneinthreeparents(36%)doesnotrecognisethatthebraindevelopsfastestintheconceptiontotwoyearsperiod,andoneinfourparents(24%)doesnotrecognisethatwhatparentsdobetweenbirthand18monthshasalargeimpactontheirchild’sfuture.

Ourconversationswithparentssuggestthatakeywayinwhichtheyjudgebraindevelopmentisbyobservingvisiblechangesintheirchild’sbehaviour.Therefore,thefactthatsomeaspectsofdevelopmentareharderto‘recognise’orobserve,leadsparentstounderappreciatethespeedatwhichtheirchildisdeveloping,particularlyuntilthechildis18monthsold.ThischallengeisnotspecifictoparentsintheUK.Forexample,inastudyofhowAlbertansinCanadaconceiveofchilddevelopment,akeyfindingwasthattheprocessbywhichthebraindevelopedthroughoutchildhoodremained“shroudedinmystery”.7Ourconversationswithparentsalsorevealedanissuewiththeterminologyused.Theterm“brainandminddevelopment”ledtoconceptionsofapurelybiological,“black-box”processwhichisoutofthecontrolofparents.Thissuggeststhatthelanguagemayneedclarifyinginordertomakeclearerhowthewaythatthebraindevelopsisrelatedtoachild’severydayexperiencesandsocialrelationships.

5 Big Questions insight Justoneinfour(24%)participantsrecognisethespecificimportanceofthe0-5periodforprovidinglifelonghealthandhappiness.Instead,mostparticipants(57%)perceiveallperiodsofachild’slifetobeequallyimportantforhealthandhappinessinadulthood.

The impact of COVID-19: Relativelyfewparentsofchildrenagedbetween0and5(11%)thinkthattheCOVID-19pandemicwillhaveanegativeimpactonthebrainandminddevelopmentoftheirchild.Parentskeyconcernsrelatetothelackofsocialisationwithotherchildren(88%)andadults(56%)andspendingtoomuchtimeinside(56%).

Incontrast,44%thinkthattheirchild’sbrainandminddevelopmentwillbebetterduetothepandemic,citingincreasedtimespentlearning(73%),playing(68%)andtalking(65%)withtheirchild.Notably,parentswhoseworkinghourshavereducedsincethestartofthepandemicaremorelikelytothinkthattheirchild’sdevelopmentwillimprovethanotherparents(47%comparedwith40%).

*Thisfindingistakenfromtheonlinesurveyof1,000parentsof0-5yearoldswhichtookplaceinOctober2020.

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Parents find it difficult to prioritise their own wellbeingWhenparentsprovidesupporttotheirchildren(suchasemotionalsupportandintellectualstimulation),notonlyarethechildrenthemselvesenriched,butsocietybenefitsfromtheirchild’scontributionsasadults(suchaseconomicallyandsocially).8

The impact of COVID-19: Overathird(37%)thinkthattheCOVID-19pandemicwillhaveanegativeimpactontheirlong-termmentalhealth.Women(40%)andthosewhohaveexperiencedfinancialdifficultiesduringthepandemic(43%)areparticularlylikelytoreportanegativeimpact.

Mostparentsworkhardtoprovidepositiveexperiencesfortheirchildrenandenjoyspendingtimewiththemandseeingthemdevelop.However,parentsfacejugglingpriorities,conflictingdemandsontheirtime,stressandexhaustion.Studieshaveshownthatwhenparentsfeelexhausted,thiscanimpacttheirownpersonalwellbeingandinextremecircumstancescanleadtoparentalburnout,whichisharmfulforboththeparent and child.9Evidencealsosuggeststhatparentalstresslevelscanimpactachild’sdevelopment.Forexample,astudybyMoralesandGuerra10demonstratedacorrelationbetweencumulativestressexperiencedbyparentsandtheloweracademicachievementof children.

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Supporting the child starts with supporting the adultParentsrecognisetheimportanceofmaintainingtheirownwellbeing.Thevastmajorityofparentsofa0to5-year-old(93%)agreelookingafterthemselvesisimportantforthehealthandhappinessoftheirchild.However,inreality,manyparentsareunderhugeamountsofpressure,withalmostthreeinfourparentsofa0to5-year-old(73%)reportingthatbeingaparentisstressfulorverystressful.Themostfrequentlymentionedchallengesofbeingaparenttoachildofthisageincludebalancingworkdemands(45%),feelingtired(22%),thedemandsofdomesticchores(22%)andthedemandsofotherchildren(17%).

Againstthischallengingbackdrop,parentsofa0to5-year-oldaremorelikelytoputtheneedsoftheirchildrenbeforetheirown.Forexample,whenexpectingtheirfirstchild,only10%ofexpectantparentsreporttakingtimetolookaftertheirownphysicalormentalwell-being.Furthermore,almostoneinfiveparentsofa0to5-year-old(18%)wouldfeeluncomfortableseekinghelpandsupportforhowtheywerefeeling,comparedwithjust8%whowouldfeeluncomfortableseekinghelpandsupportforhowtheirchildwasfeeling.

5 Big Questions insight Thevastmajorityofrespondentsstronglyagree(90%)thatthementalhealth andwellbeingofparentsandcarershasagreatimpactonthedevelopmentof theirchild(ren).

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Feelings of judgement have a huge impact on both parents and their children.

Feelingjudgedhasthepotentialtoimpactparents’mentalhealth,whichevidencehasshowntoimpairchildren’sdevelopment.11Giventhesedetrimentaloutcomes,feelingsofjudgementexperiencedbyparentsposearealrisktochildren’sdevelopment.

Seveninten(70%)parentsofa0to5-year-oldsaytheyfeeljudgedbyothers.Amongnon-parents,sixinten(64%)admitthattheyjudgeotherparents.Overathirdofparents(35%)feeljudgedbasedonhowtheirchildbehaves,orhowtheychoosetomanagetheirchild’sbehaviour(36%).Aquarter(25%)feeltheyarebeingjudgedforbeingtoolenientornotstrictenough.Asaconsequenceoffeelingjudged,almosthalfofparents(48%)reportanemotionaltoll.Ofthoseparentswhofeeljudged,17%reportaloweringofself-esteemorincreaseinself-doubt,13%reportfeelinginadequateorlikeafailureand10%reportfeelingsadorunhappy.

Furthermore,conversationswithparentssuggestthattheimpactofjudgementcanleadparentstochangetheirbehaviour.Forexample,15%ofparentsreportthatthefearoffeelingjudgedmakesitdifficulttoaskforhelpandsupportfortheirchildifneeded.

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Support networks are crucial for parentsStudiesindicatethatparentswhoaccesshelpandsupport(forexampleparentingprogrammes)arelesslikelytoreporthighlevelsofstress.12Wherethissupport isnotavailablehowever,theresultantstressmaynegativelyaffectparents’mentalhealthandinturn,theirchildren’sdevelopment.13Furthermore,evidenceshowsthatthosewithsmallersupportnetworksaremorelikelytofeellonelyandlonelinessisassociatedwithpoorermentalandphysicalhealthoutcomes.14Therefore,ensuringparentshaveaccesstoawiderangeoftrustedsourcesofsupport,withoutfearofjudgement,isvitalfortheearlydevelopmentofchildrenaswellasmaintainingparents’ownwellbeing.

Forms of and breadth of supportParentsofchildrenaged0-5reportedneedinghelpandsupportforawiderangeofissuesincludingchildhealth(38%),nutrition(33%),behaviour(24%)andsleep(20%).Howeveralmostoneinfive(18%)reportthattheyhavetwoorfewerpeoplethattheycanturntolocallyforsupportifneeded.Athirdoftheseparents(33%)reportthatthenumberofpeopleintheirnetworkhasdecreasedsincetheyhavehadchildren.Thishighlightsthepotentialvulnerabilityofmanyparentsattimesofstress.

Parentswithsmallnetworksreportbeinglesslikelytoturntobothformalandinformalsourcesofsupportforhowtheyarefeeling.Forexample,theywouldbelesslikelythanthosewithlargernetworkstoturntotheirownparents(31%comparedwith36%)ortohealthcareprofessionals(30%comparedwith43%)thanthosewhoreporthavingalargernetwork.

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Furthermore,thosewithasmallnetworkaremorelikelythanthosewithalargenetworktosaythattheywouldhavenowheretogo(6%comparedwith1%)orthattheywouldn’tknowwheretogo(7%comparedwith4%)forsupportwithhowtheyarefeeling.Thosewithasmallnetworkaremorelikelythanthosewithalargenetworktofeellonelyatleastsomeofthetime(27%comparedwith17%).

The impact of COVID-19: Parentallonelinesshasdramaticallyincreasedduringthepandemicfrom38%beforeto63%asparentshavebeencutofffromfriendsandfamily.Thisincreaseinlonelinessforparentsismoreapparentinthemostdeprivedareas;theseparentsaremorethantwiceaslikelyasthoselivingintheleastdeprivedareastosaytheyfeellonelyoftenoralways(13%comparedwith5%).

Trusted sources of supportWhenunpromptedparentsaremostlikelytomentionfamilyandfriendsastrustedsourcesofsupportforbringinguptheirchild.Mentionsincludetheirownparents(57%),theirchild’sotherparent(52%)andclosefriends(47%).SupportfromhealthcareprofessionalsincludingGPsanddoctors(42%),healthvisitors(39%)andtheNHSwebsite(38%)followcloselybehind.Specifically,whenparentsthinkabouthelpfortheirchild’sphysicalgrowthanddevelopmenttheyaremostlikelytomentionaGP(59%),healthvisitor(35%)ortheirownparents(20%).WhenthinkingabouthelpforhowtheirchildisfeelingtheyarealsomostlikelytomentionaGP(34%),healthvisitor(24%)ortheirownparents(26%).WhenitcomestoseekinghelpforhowtheyarefeelingasaparenttheyaremostlikelytomentionaGP(40%),butmorelikelytomentiontheirownparents(35%)thanahealthvisitor(18%).

Arangeofothersourcesoftrustedsupportarementionedbysmallernumbersofparentsoftheunder5s.Theseincludechildren’scentres(18%),internetsearches(15%),localparentingsupportgroups(15%),parentandchildgroups(11%)andparentingblogsorwebsites(11%).

The impact of COVID-19: DuringtheCOVID-19pandemic,parentswereparticularlylikelytoreportthat theywouldturntotheNHSwebsiteforinformationtheycouldtrustaboutbringinguptheirchildren(47%).Positivelytheproportionofparentswhosaidtheywouldspeaktoamedicalprofessionalwasinlinewiththenationallyrepresentativesurvey(41%).

Howeveritseemstherehasbeenariseintheproportionofparentswhofeeluncomfortableseekinghelpforhowtheyarefeelingfrom18%beforethepandemicto34%duringit.

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The role of wider society and primary schoolsThelast100yearshaveseenextensivechangestofamilystructuresintheUK.15 The nuclearfamilyisnolongertheacceptednorm,withmorehouseholdscomprisedofcohabitingparents,stepfamilies,singleparentfamiliesandthoseco-parentingandlivingapart.16Alongsidechangestofamilystructure,societaltrendsincludethegeographicmovementofparentsawayfromtheirwiderfamily,leadingtowhatmanycommentatorsbelievetobeaweakeningofcommunitycohesionandidentity.17Thismeansthattraditionalparentalrolesandresponsibilitieshavechanged,andtheroleofwidersocietyisunderthespotlight.

Parentsofa0to5-year-oldtendtoassumethattheresponsibilityforgivingchildrenthebestchanceofhealthandhappinessispurelytheirs(58%),ratherthanthejointresponsibilityofeveryoneinsociety(20%)ortheequalresponsibilitybetweenparentsandsociety(18%).*

Whenitcomestochildren’sdevelopmenthowever,manyparentsregardprimaryschoolsashavingakeyrole.Almostsixintenparentsbelievethatschoolsandparentsshouldbeequallyresponsibleforreadingandwriting(59%)aswellasnon-coreacademicskillssuchasimaginationandcreativity(57%),speakingandlistening(54%)andphysicalskills(53%).Theproportionwhofeelschoolsandparentsshouldhaveequalresponsibilityisjustunderhalfforsocialskillsandbehaviours(49%)comparedwith46%whobelievethatparentsshouldbemainlyresponsible.Andwhenitcomestoemotionalawarenessjust

*Respondentsweretold“Bysociety,wemeaneveryoneonthiscard:Widerfamily,Neighbours,Friends,Schools,Nurseries,Wider

community,Healthprofessionals(e.g.healthvisitors,nurses,midwivesandGPs),Socialworkers,Localauthorityearlyhelpprofessionals

(e.g.familysupportworkers,youthworkers),Childminderornanny,Charity/Voluntarysector.

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overtwo-fifthsbelievethatschoolsandparentsshouldhaveequalresponsibility(43%).butahigherproportion(54%)believeparentsshouldbemainlyresponsible.

Thefindingthatsuchalargeproportionofparentsperceiveparentsandprimaryschoolstohaveequalresponsibilityfordevelopingbasicskillsmaymeanthatalargeproportionofparentsalsounderestimatetheimportanceoftheirowninteractionswithchildrenpre-school.Itmayalsomeanthatparentsmaybeleavingactivitiesthatencouragetheirchild’sdevelopmentuntiltheyareatschoolage.Indeed,inourconversationswithparents,atendencytorelyonprimaryschoolstoinstigatevariousdevelopmentalactivitiesincludingreadingandwritingwasapparent.

Theperceptionamongsomeparentsthatlearningdoesnotbeginuntilchildrenstartschoolcombinedwithatendencytofocusonexternal,observablephenomenawhenassessingchildren’sdevelopmentmaycontributetowardsamore‘passive’approachtochilddevelopmentintheearlyyearsintheUK.Thismayaffectthepreparednessofchildrenforschool.Governmentdatashowsoveraquarter(28%)ofchildrenwerenotconsidered‘school ready’in2018/19.*

5 Big Questions insight Aroundhalf(53%)ofthoseprovidingaresponse,believeditisthesharedresponsibility ofparentsandothersinsocietytogivechildrenaged0to5thebestchanceofhealth andhappiness.However,asizeableproportion(46%)believeditisprimarilytheresponsibilityofparents.

*Governmentdatashowsoveraquarter(28%)ofchildreninEnglandwerenotconsidered‘schoolready’withtheirlanguage,

communicationandliteracyskillsin2018/19,andthisrisestoover2in5(42%)insomedeprivedareas.

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Therearethreemainthemesthatemergefromthisresearch:

Thesearediscussedinmoredetailbelow.

1. Promoting education and dissemination of evidence on the primacy of the early years to the whole of society.

• AsignificantproportionofUKparentsofa0-5-year-old(69%)underestimatetheprimaryimportanceoftheearlyyears.Thiscontrastswiththescientificevidencewhichisclearontheprimacyoftheearlyyearsinprovidingthefoundationforbothchildren’sfuturedevelopment8andtheirlifechancesasadults.Thispointstotheneedtoelevatetheimportanceofthepregnancyandearlyyearsperiodinthepublicconsciousness;notonlyamongparentsbutamongtheparentsoftomorrowandthewholeofsociety.

• Thereisasignificantgapinunderstandingofhowrapidlythebrainisdevelopingduringthemostcriticalfirsttwoyears.Reflectingfindingsfromotherresearch,18thiscouldresultinlessactiveinteractionwithchildrenintheearlyyears,particularlybeforethechildstartstoexhibitoutwardsignsofdevelopmentsuchasspeaking.Itmayalsoleadtoamore‘passive’approachtocaringforchildren,focusingonphysicalneeds(suchasfeedingandsleeping),ratherthantheiremotionalandsocialdevelopment.

• Toincreaseunderstandingofbraindevelopmentweneedtotranslateandincreaseaccessibilityofdevelopmentalscience,soparents,futureparentsandwidersocietyunderstandtheimportanceofactiveinteractionwithchildreninthe0-5agegroup(withaparticularfocusonthe0-2period)onthelifechancesofbabiesfarbeyondthesefirstyears.

2. The need to cultivate and sustain more support networks for parents to enhance their mental health and wellbeing.

• Whileparentsgenerallyunderstandtheimpactoftheirmentalstateonchildrenatasuperficiallevel(e.g.inextremecasesofabuseorneglect),itisimportanttoraiseawarenessofthelong-termimpactofcommonmentalhealthconditions(suchas

CONCLUSIONS3.

1. The importance of promotingeducationanddisseminationofevidenceon the primacy of the early yearstoparents,parents of the future and the whole ofsociety.

2. Theneedtocultivateandsustainmoresupportnetworksforparentstoenhance their mental health andwellbeing.

3. Encouragingsocietyasawholebemoresupportiveofparents,carersandfamiliesintheearlyyears.

19Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years

depressionandanxiety)onchildren’sdevelopment.Itisvitaltoensureparentshaveaccesstothesupporttheyneed,especiallythosewhohavesmallersupportnetworks.Theresearchindicatesaroundafifthofparentswithchildrenagedfiveandunderarevulnerableduetoalackofformalorinformalsupportnetworks.

• Itisimportanttobuildtrustin,andvisibilityof,sourcesofsupportthatexistincommunitiesasparentswithoutsupportnetworksareatthegreatestriskofpoormentalhealthwhichimpactsontheearlydevelopmentofchildren.Parents’firstportsofcallforsupporttheytrustarethosewithwhomtheyhaveapersonalrelationship(suchasfamilyorfriends)ortheNHS(GPs,HealthVisitors,NHSwebsite).Otherpotentialsourcesofsupportareoftennotfrontofmindandnon-NHSonlinesourcesaretheleasttrusted.Itisimportantforonlinesourcestohaveaclearassociationwitha‘trusted’andfamiliarbrandliketheNHS,andtobepromotedinastreamlinedwaybetweendifferentservicestoengageparents.

3. Encouraging society as a whole be more supportive of parents, carers and families in the early years.

• Mostparentsworkhardtoprovidepositiveexperiencesfortheirchildren.However,parentsfacejugglingpriorities,conflictingdemandsontheirtime,stressandexhaustion.Theyalsofeeljudgedbyothersathomeandinthecommunity,primarilyfortheirchild’sbehaviour.Parentsrequiresupportandunderstandingfromthewholeofsociety.

• Whenparentsfeelstressedandjudgedtheymayadapttheirbehaviourandrelationshipwiththeirchildandbemorereluctanttoseeksupport.Thismoderationofbehaviourmayimpacttheirchild(ren)’slong-termdevelopment11.Stressandjudgementcanimpactparents’wellbeingandmentalhealth,withmanyparentsoftenfindingthemselvesprioritisingotherthingsovertheirownmentalwellbeing.

• Itisimportantthatparentsfeelthatsocietyasawholesupportstheminbringinguptheirchild.Anenvironmentinwhichparentsfeelabletoaccesssupportisimportantfortheirownwellbeingandthatoftheirchild.Feelingthatsocietyisunsupportivecanplaceunduepressuresonparents,butalsolimitthedepthandrangeofrelationships,opportunitiesand(moreformally)interventionsthatchildrenexperience.

• Wealsofindthatparentsseeprimaryschoolsashavinganimportantandsometimesequalroleinsupportingchildren’sdevelopment.Parentsthereforeneedtobesupportedtounderstandtheknowledgeandskillsthatwillprovidetheirchildwithagoodfoundationforschoolandtobeequippedtoplaytheirroleinchilddevelopmentinthepre-schoolyears.

Collectivelythesefindingsareintendedtoprovokediscussionanddebate.Theyidentifykeyissuestoaddresstoensuresupportforparentsandcarerstoraisethenextgeneration,andhighlightanopportunitytohelppeopleunderstandtheearlyyears.Thesignificanceofthisopportunityisnotjustitsbearingonbetteroutcomesforchildrenbutitsimpactonhealthandhappinessforthewholeoflifeandforfuturegenerations.

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1. SavetheChildren.(2016).Lightingupyoungbrains:Howparents,carersandnurseriessupportchildren’sbraindevelopmentinthefirstfiveyears.SavetheChildren.Availableat:https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/library/lighting-young-brains-how-parents-carers-and-nurseries-support-childrens-brain-development

2. Finnegan,J.(2010).HowtoTalkAboutChildren’sMentalHealth:AFrameWorksMessageMemo.FrameWorksInstitute.Availableat:https://www.frameworksinstitute.org/publication/how-to-talk-about-childrens-mental-health-a-frameworks-messagememo

3. BrittoPR,LyeS,ProulxK,etal.(2016).Nurturingcare:promotingearlychildhooddevelopment.Lancet.389(10064).Availableat:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31390-3

4. CenterontheDevelopingChildatHarvardUniversity.(2009).MaternalDepressionCanUnderminetheDevelopmentofYoungChildren:WorkingPaperNo.8.Availableat:https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/maternal-depression-can-undermine-the-development-of-young-children

5. CenterontheDevelopingChildatHarvardUniversity.(2012).TheScienceofNeglect:ThePersistentAbsenceofResponsiveCareDisruptstheDevelopingBrain:WorkingPaperNo.12.Availableat:https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/the-science-of-neglect-the-persistent-absence-of-responsive-care-disrupts-the-developing-brain

6. Shribman,S.&Billingham,K.(2009).HealthyChildProgramme:Pregnancyandthefirstfiveyearsoflive.DepartmentofHealth.Availableat:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthy-child-programme-pregnancy-and-the-first-5-years-of-life

7. Kendall-Taylor,N.(2010).ExperiencesGetCarriedForward:HowAlbertansThinkAboutEarlyChildDevelopment.FrameWorksInstitute.Availableat:https://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/doc/experiences-get-carried-forward-how-albertans-think-about-early-child-development

8. Karoly,L.A.,Kilburn,M.R.&Cannon,J.S.(2005).EarlyChildhoodInterventions:ProvenResults,FuturePromise.Availableat:http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG341.pdf

REFERENCES4.

21Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years

9. Mikolajczak,M.,Gross,J.J.&Roskam,I.(2019).ParentalBurnout:WhatIsIt,andWhyDoesItMatter?ClinicalPsychologicalScience,216770261985843,doi:10.1177/2167702619858430

10 J.R.Morales&Guerra,N.G.(2006).EffectsofMultipleContextandCumulativeStressonUrbanChildren’sAdjustmentinElementarySchool,ChildDevelopment,77(4):907-23.doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00910

11. Clarke,B.&Younas,F.(2017).Helpingparentstoparent.SocialMobilityCommission.Availableat:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/592452/Helping_Parents_to_Parent_report.pdf

12. Barlow,J.&Cohen,E.(2017).TheEffectivenessofParentingPrograms:AreviewofCampbellreviews.TheEffectivenessofParentingPrograms:AReviewofCampbellReviews.ResearchonSocialWorkPractice.2018;28(1):99-102.doi:10.1177/1049731517725184

13. Neece,C.L.,Green,S.A.&Baker,B.L.(2012).Parentingstressandchildbehaviorproblems:atransactionalrelationshipacrosstime.Americanjournalonintellectualanddevelopmentaldisabilities,117(1),48–66.https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-117.1.48

14. Mushtaq,R.,Shoib,S.,Shah,T.&Mushtaq,S.(2014).RelationshipBetweenLoneliness,PsychiatricDisordersandPhysicalHealth?AReviewonthePsychologicalAspectsofLoneliness,8(9),doi:10.7860/JCDR/2014/10077.4828

15. Mahew.,L.&Smith.,D.(2020).The100YearFamily:Longerlives,fewerchildrenInternationalLongevityCentreUK.Availableat:https://ilcuk.org.uk/the-100-year-family

16. OfficeforNationalStatistics.(2019).FamiliesandhouseholdsintheUKStatisticalbulletins.Availableat:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/previousReleases

17. Schout,G.&deJong,G.(2018).TheWeakeningofKinTies:ExploringtheNeedforLife-WorldLedInterventions.InternationalJournalofEnvironmentalResearchandPublicHealth.15(203).Availableat:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020203

18. Forexample,Kendall-Taylor,Nathaniel(2010).ExperiencesGetCarriedForward:HowAlbertansThinkAboutEarlyChildDevelopment.Washington,DC:FrameWorksInstitute

7 out of every 10 parents feel judged by others.Among these parents, almost half feel thisnegatively impacts their mental health.

70%of parents saythey feel judgedby others

48%say this has takenan emotional tollon them

3.

4.The pandemic has pushed parental loneliness up from 38% to 63%.

This increase in loneliness for parents is more apparent in the most deprived areas; these parents are more than twice as likely as those livingin the least deprived areasto say they feel lonely oftenor always.

38%Before theCOVID-19pandemic

63%After thefirst lockdownin the UK

Mostdeprived

Leastdeprived

IN THE FACEOF ADVERSITY, SUPPORT FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED FOR MANY - BUT NOT FOR ALL

5.

Across the UK, communities have united powerfully to meet the challenge of unprecedented times.

Parents in the most deprived areas are less likely to have experienced increased community support than those elsewhere.Experienced increased community support

33%Most deprived

52%Least deprived

40%of people feel that communitysupport has grown

13% 5%

FEELING JUDGEDBY OTHERS CANMAKE A BADSITUATION WORSE

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED PARENTALLONELINESS

Parents recognise the importance of good mental health, but struggle to findtime for themselves.

Only 10% of parents mentioned taking the time to look after their own wellbeing when asked how they had prepared for the arrival of their baby.

Yet worryingly, just one in four recognise the specific importance ofthe first five years of a child’s life.

24%say start ofpregnancy to 5 years ismost important

of people see parental mental health and wellbeing as beingcritical to a child’s development

90%took time to look after their own wellbeing

10%

1.

2.

THE REALITY OF LIFE MAKES IT HARD FOR PARENTS TO PRIORITISE THEIR WELLBEING

PEOPLE OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVE THAT A CHILD’S FUTURE ISNOT PRE-DETERMINED AT BIRTH

STATE OF THE NATION:UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO THE EARLY YEARS5 KEY INSIGHTS

Data is taken from a number of studies: the 5 Big Questions, (435,141 UK responses, January 2020),nationally representative face-to-face survey (3,733 adults, Dec 2019 – Jan 2020) and an online survey (1,000 parents of 0-5s, October 2020).

98%of people believethat nurture isessential to lifelong outcomes

22

7 out of every 10 parents feel judged by others.Among these parents, almost half feel thisnegatively impacts their mental health.

70%of parents saythey feel judgedby others

48%say this has takenan emotional tollon them

3.

4.The pandemic has pushed parental loneliness up from 38% to 63%.

This increase in loneliness for parents is more apparent in the most deprived areas; these parents are more than twice as likely as those livingin the least deprived areasto say they feel lonely oftenor always.

38%Before theCOVID-19pandemic

63%After thefirst lockdownin the UK

Mostdeprived

Leastdeprived

IN THE FACEOF ADVERSITY, SUPPORT FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED FOR MANY - BUT NOT FOR ALL

5.

Across the UK, communities have united powerfully to meet the challenge of unprecedented times.

Parents in the most deprived areas are less likely to have experienced increased community support than those elsewhere.Experienced increased community support

33%Most deprived

52%Least deprived

40%of people feel that communitysupport has grown

13% 5%

FEELING JUDGEDBY OTHERS CANMAKE A BADSITUATION WORSE

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED PARENTALLONELINESS

Parents recognise the importance of good mental health, but struggle to findtime for themselves.

Only 10% of parents mentioned taking the time to look after their own wellbeing when asked how they had prepared for the arrival of their baby.

Yet worryingly, just one in four recognise the specific importance ofthe first five years of a child’s life.

24%say start ofpregnancy to 5 years ismost important

of people see parental mental health and wellbeing as beingcritical to a child’s development

90%took time to look after their own wellbeing

10%

1.

2.

THE REALITY OF LIFE MAKES IT HARD FOR PARENTS TO PRIORITISE THEIR WELLBEING

PEOPLE OVERWHELMINGLY BELIEVE THAT A CHILD’S FUTURE ISNOT PRE-DETERMINED AT BIRTH

STATE OF THE NATION:UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO THE EARLY YEARS5 KEY INSIGHTS

Data is taken from a number of studies: the 5 Big Questions, (435,141 UK responses, January 2020),nationally representative face-to-face survey (3,733 adults, Dec 2019 – Jan 2020) and an online survey (1,000 parents of 0-5s, October 2020).

98%of people believethat nurture isessential to lifelong outcomes

Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years 24

25Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years

Ipsos MORI | State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years 26