NEW YORK — There’s an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. A new poll finds today’s parents are reinventing what it mean

Raising children still takes a village — But the village is changing

submited by
Style Pass
2024-11-16 15:30:02

NEW YORK — There’s an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. A new poll finds today’s parents are reinventing what it means to rely on their “village” when it comes to raising their kids.

According to a survey of 2,000 parents of children younger than six, 78% agree that the definition of a village — or their community and support system — is different today than when they were growing up. In fact, another 86% of parents say they have a different type of support system today than their own parents did.

Growing up, respondents recall spending the most time with grandmothers (60%), grandfathers (41%), aunts (51%), and uncles (41%), as well as their parents’ best friend (38%). In total, they can remember an average of eight different people being regularly involved in their lives as children, and a majority (86%) are still in some contact with their childhood village.

Today, parents rely on an average of seven different people, and fewer of them are relatives than ever before. Mothers (54%) and fathers (34%) still ranked at the top of the list, but today’s parents are more likely to lean on their friends (33%) or best friends (30%) than aunts or uncles (29%).

Leave a Comment