Parents in East of England give children most praise

27 Aug Parents in East of England give children most praise

Parents in the East of England are quick to praise their children for good behaviour and shout at their children less than parents from other parts of the UK, according to the results of an international parenting study released today.1

Not a single parent from the region felt that shouting at their children was an effective form of discipline, according to the research which also identified British parents as the strictest in Europe. This differs wildly from parents in Scotland, where nearly a quarter shout at their children when they misbehave.

Parents in the East of England are also more likely to dish out praise as a reward for good behaviour. In fact, nine in ten parents from the region said they are quick to praise their youngsters.

Insights into the region’s parenting style have been released following international parenting research conducted by My Nametags (https://www.mynametags.com), a leading global provider of name tags for children. The company compared the attitudes of thousands of European parents with children aged 16 and under and found that British parents are the strictest in Europe.

When it comes to discipline, Brits believe that educating children on the reason why their behaviour is wrong (42 percent), taking away toys (36 percent) and rationalising with them (29 percent) are the most effective tactics. Over a third are firm in disciplining their children – more than other EU countries.

Parents in the UK are also more likely to resort to star charts and bribery to encourage good behaviour. In fact, while a quarter of Brits use star charts as a form of discipline, this is less common overseas. Only five percent of parents in Italy and Portugal use the same approach.

At mealtimes, 48 percent of British parents expect children to eat ‘grown up’ foods and have good table manners. Over half uphold rigorous bedtime routines, while nearly 60 percent admit to regularly saying ‘no’ to things to teach their children patience.

It seems the British parenting style is most different from those in Italy, where parents are the least strict. In fact, one third of Italian parents admit to not being firm at all with their youngsters.

When it comes to the attributes most valued in children, being respectful (35 percent), good manners (30 percent) and kindness (27 percent) topped the list. Despite being no-nonsense on discipline, British parents are more likely than other countries to choose ‘cheekiness’ as being an important trait in their children. Interestingly, UK parents place much less value on confidence and children being sociable than other countries.