However, Summer Infant found that a baby’s first steps only rates as the favourite moment of a child’s life for 10% of parents. A baby’s first word was also only the favourite for 11%.
This difference in statistics shows that there is a real life Milestone Expectation Gap (MEG). Not only do these famous and bragged about child milestones actually lose some of their importance, it is the smaller, bond making moments that mean the most to parents. For example, a child’s first giggle came in as a favourite for 22% of parents, and one in 20 parents said that the first kiss from their child meant the most.
Interestingly, meeting your baby for the first time is generally thought as the big one for the majority of parents, and 50% of parents expect it to be their favourite. But once baby arrives, even this drops down to a third!
Hashim Yilmaz, General Manager of Summer Infant and Dad to two young boys age 5 and 3, comments: “Our research shows that magical emotional memories are every bit as meaningful and important as achieving key milestones. We hope that by making parents’ daily lives easier with our baby and toddler products we can allow them to focus on and cherish those special times.”
Summer Infant’s research also found the same thing with milestones that are the most dreaded, such as potty training and weaning. These challenges are deemed less important and are overshadowed by more emotional moments like returning to work (27%) and separation anxiety (20%). The most dreaded of milestones are two that can sever the emotional bonds that are created during childhood. No longer feeling needed (24%) and children leaving home (21%) are things that parents are really not looking forward to as their child grows.
Hashim Yilmaz of Summer Infant said: “If you took social media as a barometer it would be all too easy to think that the defining moments of a child’s life are the big milestone moments – the first word, the first steps, the first tooth, the first birthday. But the opposite is actually true.
“It’s often the more private, emotional moments that forge the memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. Our message to parents is that childhood goes all too quickly. Seek all the help you can get so that you can enjoy the magical, simple moments that mean so much.”
Which milestone moments are you looking forward to, or look back on fondly?
0 Comments