Survey: 70% of Parents Express Interest in Learning Parenting Skills
According to a study conducted by the Department of Sociology and Public and Municipal Administration Technologies at the School of Public Administration and Entrepreneurship of the Ural Federal University, 70 percent of parents lack the necessary skills and knowledge to raise their children. The study’s findings were presented at a press conference held at the TASS Research and Information Center.
“A survey was conducted with students in the Sverdlovsk region to assess the competencies of the parent community, identify areas for improvement, and gauge support for parental training. The results indicated that over 50 percent of parents see the need for special knowledge to perform quality parental work. Specifically, parents expressed a lack of knowledge in psychology, domestic management, pedagogy, and medicine,” says Anna Bagirova, Professor of the Department of Sociology and Public and Municipal Administration Technologies at UrFU.
Parents reported a lack of psychological knowledge, specifically in dealing with conflict situations involving both child-parent relations and relations with educational organizations. Additionally, they noted a lack of basic first-aid knowledge. Despite the availability of information on this issue on the Internet, parents report difficulty in understanding how to act in difficult situations. There is a lack of knowledge regarding child upbringing and education in the context of educational organizations. Additionally, parents often require guidance on teaching their children self-care skills.
“Seventy percent of surveyed parents expressed support for parental education, indicating a desire to learn due to a perceived lack of knowledge. The surveyed parents included those with pre-school and school-aged children, as well as university students. Only 9 percent strongly opposed parental education, while the remainder found it difficult to answer,” states Anna Bagirova.
According to sociologists, modern parents are increasingly seeking knowledge from expert organizations and consultations with specialists, rather than relying on the Internet or their own experiences, as well as those of their parents or friends. They are willing to receive training from state agencies, institutions, schools, kindergartens, parent associations, and social services.
“It is noteworthy that the acquisition of specialized parenting skills is often considered only after the birth of a child. With the arrival of a child, young parents are faced with a completely new set of challenges. Parenting is a constantly evolving and complex task that requires diverse and energy-consuming efforts, often leading to nervous overload. Additionally, the digital environment adds further complexities to parenting,” concludes Anna Bagirova.
The study surveyed 1,180 parents of different ages living in the cities of the Sverdlovsk Region, including mothers and fathers with different numbers of children, ranging in age from 1 to 18 years old. The Sverdlovsk Regional Parents’ Committee requested the study.
“This is not our first joint study, because science-based data should be the basis for any activity. This is the right thing to do,” states Lyudmila Zolotnitskaya, Chairwoman of the Sverdlovsk Regional Parents’ Committee.