Nestle's Parenting index study: The USA ranks as 5th best place to rear a child after Sweden, Chile, Germany, and Mexico!
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Parenting is a skill and an art. Parenting
experiences are different and vary worldwide. Nestle did the first-of-its-kind
study called The Parenting Index to see how these parenting skills fare in
different nations of the world. Which place is the best in the world to raise a
child?
Nestle and the parenting index
The parenting index is the list and ranking of countries
based on their goodness to raise a child. Nestle carried out a study recently to
know where each country stands as regards child-rearing. This study has never
been done in the past and is the first of its kind in the world.
Their results revealed that there is no perfect or ideal place to raise a family. But yes, Sweden is the best place to bring up a child followed by Chile, Germany, and Mexico. And the USA comes up next in position 5. This should be of use for the parent of today.
Parenting Index (Source: YouTube) |
The methodology of the Parenting index study
This tool is a unique and new one. It was to check
on the ease of parenting in the world of today. The views of over 8000 mothers
and fathers from 16 countries of the world were taken. These parents had
children who were in the age group of 0-12 months. Several factors affect
parenting by the caretakers and the study researchers identified 8 factors that
universally affected parenting skills. And the most important of these
factors was pressure.
In the USA, parents felt anxious and stressed since
they wanted to give it all to their children. They also experienced pressures
from others around them. 49% of the parents in the USA reported such pressures.
Helicopter parenting was also seen in these American homes and parents of the
higher income bracket families would go to any extent to see to it that their
children succeed.
Nestle and their opinion
Nestle study [Source: World Stage Group] |
"At Nestlé, we are always
challenging ourselves to better understand the complexities of the parenting
journey,"
"We believe finding solutions
to the universal pressures faced by parents, today will help them feel better
supported in the decisions they make during the first crucial 1,000 days of a
child's life. And in doing so, we can strengthen our commitment to helping 50
million children lead healthier and happier lives by 2020."
Parents in the USA have more
pressures than those from Sweden but they are able to get the best health and
well-being resources for their children. But 51% of these request improvement in the form of shared parenting responsibilities. Many also desire paid
parental leave. They also want help to boost their confidence as parents.
Problem areas in the USA parenting experience
Besides the above, 46% of American
parents felt that they have intense pressure, especially from social media
on child-raising. They fear social shaming. 30% of the parents also felt that
they did feel lonely as regards child-rearing techniques despite being in the
midst of family and friends. 45% of these mothers from the USA suffered from
postpartum depression or baby blues. China revealed 47% of mothers had baby blues.
29% of American parents felt that they were not prepared for parenthood and had
to face unexpected realities due to it.
Dr Ming Cui, Professor of Family and Child Sciences at Florida State University says:
"Today's parents are
increasingly parenting in a state of anxiety, which can be reflected from
findings in this report, such as the external/internal pressure, lack of
confidence and financial demands they say they are experiencing. Influenced by
popular media along with technology advances, many parents from different
cultures and socio-economic classes feel pressured to do it all."
Parenting and COVID-19 pandemic
Did the coronavirus pandemic affect
the parenting? Yes, it did. In fact, it lessened the societal pressure and parents
felt less tense. They got more mutual support and more sense of belonging
leading to social cohesion. Ming reports:
"To promote positive parenting
and ultimately children's healthy development, parents should not overlook
their own well-being and should take good care of themselves, such as leaving
empty spaces on their calendar and taking a break,"
Nestle also has taken some positive
and concrete steps to help their employees who have become parents This study
will be done again in 2 years to see the evolution over time.
For the copy of the parenting
index, click
here
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