Almost 75% of the respondents (74.2%) participating in a study commissioned by the Positive Parenting Campaign have one adolescent living in their households.
This emerged out of a study carried out by statistician Vincent Marmara, amongst parents regarding the upbringing of adolescents. Only 2.3% of the interviewed respondents have three adolescents currently living in their household. The average age of the adolescents is 16. On average, each respondent spends 4.93 hours a day with their children.
The Positive Parenting Campaign is a branch of the Ministry for Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights. Details were given during a press conference.
Minister for Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights Michael Falzon explained that this campaign meets the aim of this ministry, which is that of promoting the balance between work and the family.
Minister Michael Falzon argued that parents must show more understanding and empathy in order to help adolescents open up more about personal experiences, as such conversations and close parent-child relationship may help adolescents feel more contained and cope in a healthier way.
Minister Michael Falzon insisted that this government is committed to help families and further intends to promote positive parenting. This is clearly reflected in a number of social measures leaving more money in families’ pockets, such as free child care and transport, the child bonus, increases in children’s allowances, the in-work benefit, and more incentives for those who foster or adopt children, concluded Minister Michael Falzon.
Ruth Sciberras, chairperson of the Positive Parenting Campaign, said that 1 out of every 5 respondents heard about the ‘positive parenting’ campaign (18.8%). Female respondents (23.8%) are more aware of this campaign when compared to male respondents (13.3%). Parents who do not live with their partner are more aware about this campaign than those who live with their partner (23.6% – not living with a partner vs 18.0% – living with a partner).
More than 60% (62.6% exactly) said that they feel very close to their parents. The average is 4.43 out of 5. More than half of the respondents strongly agree with their partner about the upbringing of their children, 55.5%.
The importance of spending time with your children is the most important message from this campaign according to respondents, while they expect “more awareness about positive parenting” as a result of such a campaign.
“Seeing them achieve and succeed in their goals”, is the most satisfying aspect of the upbringing of teenagers, while friends and peer pressure are the most challenging.
