London - They’re the latest must-have for any child who wants to get ahead.
No, not a flashy toy or trendy gadget, but a Pank – a professional aunt, no kids.
This new breed of relative is well-off and always on hand to smother nephews and nieces with love and very expensive gifts.
Among notable Panks is actress Cameron Diaz. She was present at the births of all her three nieces and admits she spoils them rotten. The 41-year-old said: “Whatever they want, they get. I cannot resist. But being an aunt is the most important role in my life.”
Sociologists coined the acronym to reflect the growing number of childless professional women who have plenty of disposable income and time to spend with youngsters.
With more women choosing to focus on successful careers and delay having children, Panks are a growing phenomenon.
One in five British women is now childless at 45, the Office for National Statistics said.
That compares with one in eight women born in 1939. The proportion who do not have babies has not been so high since 1920, when many were denied a family by the loss of so many men in the First World War.
Jane Pilcher, a sociology lecturer at the University of Leicester, said: “Those who have put off having children might give expression to their nurturing side through the children of their siblings.”
Research firm Euromonitor found US Panks spoil their nieces and nephews to the tune of £6-billion a year.
And Punks – professional uncles, no kids – can’t be far behind. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, 32, is one example, doting on sister Maggie’s daughters. - Daily Mail