Eight in 10 mums turn to Google, parenting forums or Facebook before asking their own mums for advice on parenting, according to the research commissioned by Cow & Gate.
According to psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson, the internet is a growing influence. A third of mums (33%) use Google to search for parenting advice. “This is good because it means parents have immediate access to valuable advice, exactly when they need it,” said Dr Richard.
“Unfortunately, that also means the traditional source of parenting support – from grandma and grandpa – is less popular. This is partly due to the younger generations moving further away from where they grew up so parents and grandparents are less likely to live around the corner than they used to,” Dr Richard added.
Internet-savvy mums over the age of 35 were most likely to rely on the internet for parenting information (71%), shows the results of the research. Mums under 25 were shown to use Facebook more than others for their parenting questions. 15% of younger mums used it for this this compared to the national average of 9%.
Despite the tempting fact that mums can access parenting advice at the click of a mouse, Dr Richard believes that there’s nothing wrong with old advice.
“I still tell new parents to ask granny and grandpa for their advice. You don’t have to take it but there’s no harm in listening,” said Dr. Richard.
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