Experts speaking during a Natures Aid Mini Drops event have observed that the majority of new parents in the UK are prioritizing the health of their children over their own wellbeing as living costs continue to follow a sharp incline.
With grocery bills consistently rising the vitamin brand says 69% of millennial parents who responded to its research are putting their kids’ health before their own, as they ‘strive to provide their children with the best possible nutrition’. 35% say they have become more conscious of their child’s nutritional needs than before the cost of living crisis, while almost a quarter (23%) have bought more supplements for their young families than they did prior to the pandemic.
The speakers – Bahee Van de Bor, children’s nutrition expert; Al Ferguson, founder of DadsNet; and Dr Sam Wass, child psychologist – discussed a range of topics including the ‘food phases’ not to be feared by parents, the essential vitamins for early physical and mental development and the mounting pressure from social media to be the ‘perfect parent’.
It’s really telling that parents [are] selflessly put their children’s health before their own
The same social platforms – TikTok, Instagram, MumsNet and DadsNet – represent a cost-savvy way of accessing ‘honest, relatable and reliable nutritional advice’ for 67% of parents, while 61% say they only trust advice which comes from an experienced industry expert.
Van de Bor comments: “It’s really telling that parents [are] selflessly put their children’s health before their own, and interesting to see that they are turning to social media to gain nutritional advice. All children under five years of age require daily vitamin A, C and D supplements, with vitamin D taking top priority. What’s more, infants drinking more than 500ml of formula per day will meet their daily vitamin and mineral requirements from food and infant formula, whilst breastfed babies will require a daily vitamin D supplement.”
