Four-in-10 children ‘missing out on good parenting’

Writing for the Telegraph, Graeme Paton reports on new Sutton Trust research on emotional bonds between parents and babies.

Poor parenting is fuelling a rise in the number of young children who grow up with behaviour and educational problems, according to research.

Figures show as many as four-in-10 infants fail to properly bond with their mothers and fathers by the age of three – storing up a series of social problems in later life.

The study, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, found that strong emotional bonds between parents and children were vital to ensure youngsters develop properly in the first few years.

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The Sutton Trust, which campaigns for better levels of social mobility, recommended that state-run children’s centres should offer mothers and fathers parenting classes to give them tips on how to bond with their children.

Read the full article here.