London - Parents feel guilty up to seven times a week over the lack of quality time spent with their family, a survey has found.
They feel most guilty about being too busy to play with their young children.
Other issues that are leaving mothers and fathers feeling bad include not going on more family days out, working long hours and having too little patience.
The survey of 2 000 parents, commissioned by toy company Little Tikes, revealed that they also feel at fault over not earning enough – and worry that they should be more fun. And eight in ten say they put themselves under pressure worrying whether they are a good enough parent.
Many mothers felt bad for wanting to return to work after maternity leave, while fathers experienced guilt over having to work, leaving their partner and baby at home.
Other triggers for guilt included relying on television to occupy the children and checking emails too much while at home.
A Little Tikes spokesperson said: “It’s only natural for parents to have worries about whether or not they’re doing things well, and the fact that they have this worry probably means they’re doing a better job than they give themselves credit for.”
Daily Mail