Parents will worry about their children throughout all stages of their lives. Since the pandemic, parents have become more worried than ever about their kids’ education and day-to-day wellbeing, which has undeniable impacts on the mental health of UK adults. In fact, researchers at the Universities of Essex, Surrey and Birmingham highlighted in a study that home-schooling and school closures was responsible for 50% of the declining rates in mental health witnessed in mothers. This is underpinned by a new landmark study from the UK’s most trusted tutoring platform, MyTutor, unveiling parents’ topline worries this year – ranging from their education to diet and sleep.

1. Bullying and making friends
Teens have a difficult time if they don’t feel accepted. Research from MyTutor has found that 43% of parents worry about their child making friends or getting bullied. There can be cliques in school, and it’s challenging if your teen doesn’t see themselves as fitting in. ‘I just want my child to be happy,’ one of MyTutor’s parents said. That includes feeling part of a community. A helpful tip is to encourage teens to join a club where they’ll meet others with common interests—whether that’s sketching, yoga, ultimate frisbee or a ukulele ensemble. Sometimes, teens just need a mentor to talk to, someone close in age who understands what it’s like to be a teen, which can help boost their confidence.

2. Health
40% of parents worry about their child eating the right things, with 31% worrying that their child isn’t doing another exercise. All parents want their children to feel safe and healthy—to get the right amount of sleep and to eat nutritious food. A parent from the survey mentioned how replacing some of their teen’s screen time with walks at the weekend helped them both enjoy fresh air and exercise while bringing them closer together. Movement throughout the day encourages better sleep— something we all could use more of.

3. Education
44% of parents have stated they worry that their abilities as a home educator have negatively impacted their child’s educational progression, with 14% worrying that their child isn’t prepared for the rigours of the new school term. With the return of GCSEs and A level exams in 2022— it might all feel overwhelming. The parents surveyed by MyTutor want to support their teens through these big transitions at school, but have a hard time finding the hours in the day to help with homework and revisions. One parent said, ‘It helps to know I could reach out to others for support.’ That could be a teacher at school or tutors with expert knowledge. Another parent said it also helped to have resources at hand which are subject-specific, or more generally about exam prep and study skills.

4. Mental Health
MyTutor has found that 34% of our parents worry that their child isn’t happy within themselves, and 28% are concerned their child does not know how to communicate this properly. Parents want their child to feel happy and centred. Teens might have a lot to juggle— between school work, exams, friends, and extra-curriculars. A few parents in the survey mentioned how helpful it was to have regular talks with their child. A weekly catch-up over cake or hot chocolate to check-in, can work a treat in helping them prioritize, or to say what’s on their mind. They might need that extra support in knowing that it’s alright to lay some activities aside until things feel more settled.

5. Career
It might seem far away, but 26% of parents have confessed to worrying that the pandemic has hindered their child’s career progression, with 20% worried that their child doesn’t know what they want to do in life. Choices about which subjects to take and what degree to study (if they go to uni) can all seem daunting. A good way to help children decide which path to follow is to encourage them to reflect on their passions. What makes them tick? Speaking to a school careers advisor, or a role model, like one of MyTutor’s tutors who are in uni themselves, can help them explore different options. There are also webinars and taster courses on a variety of careers—whether through uni or an apprenticeship scheme. In both cases, it’s important to remember, as one parent said, ‘Nothing is set in stone. It’s normal for your child to change their mind down the line.’

Key statistics:

43% (4,929,000) of parents worry about their child making friends or being bullied
40% (4,582,000) of parents worry about whether their child is eating the right things
34% (3,848,000) of parents worry that their child isn’t happy in themselves
31% (3,561,000) of parents worry that their child is not doing enough exercise
28% (3,171,000) of parents worry that their child doesn’t find it easy to communicate how they’re feeling
26% (2,426,000) of parents worry that as result of the pandemic, their child’s career progression has been hindered
14% (1,611,000) of parents worry that their child isn’t prepared for the rigours of the new school term
Bertie Hubbard, co-founder and CEO of MyTutor, discusses parental worries as the new academic year begins:

“The impact of the pandemic on UK families has been immense – from education to the mental and physical health of our children and teens. It’s natural for parents to worry about their child, but it’s helpful to remember that everyone is in the same boat, and as the new academic term kicks off, every student has the chance to catch up on lost learning and achieve the best grades they’re capable of. Getting 1-1 support from a tutor can help ease parental worry and teen stress over a whole host of issues. The focus of 1-1 tuition from a subject and curriculum expert means teens can focus on filling in learning gaps. Our tutors are all university students and recent grads, so they double up as role models, offering teens much-needed reassurance and a boost in confidence – 88% students say that lessons made them feel more confident.”

One parent, Miranda O’Gara, discusses the impact a Maths GCSE tutor had on her daughter:

“My daughter was predicted a 7 for maths GCSE in year 10 but with COVID her grade was dropping and she had massively lost all confidence in her maths ability – she was in a top set but was crying every day over maths. Her grade had slipped to a 4/5 and she needed a 6 to get into sixth form. Ebony was very calm and reassuring. She listened to my daughter and helped her with any topics she needed to work on. She gave her lots of praise and reassurance as they worked together and soon the crying stopped and my daughter’s mindset re maths changed for the better! Ebony’s subject knowledge was great; she always knew what topic my daughter was referring to and had lots of example questions to work through. My daughter loved her tutor sessions and was even happy doing Ebony’s ‘homework’. Today we have found out that she achieved a 6 in maths, which is what she needed to get.”