50 Years of Parenting with Mothercare

13:59 12 September 2011

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This September marks the 50th birthday of Mothercare and to celebrate they have collated a retrospective look at parenting in Britain from the baby boom of the 1960s to today.

This video takes a look at just what the main pros and woes of being a parent were fifty years ago in comparison to the challenges facing parents of today, through first hand experiences and expert insight.

From mumÂ’s attitude to work to her lifestyle and family dynamic as well as the support available to parents and the GovernmentÂ’s stance on benefits and maternity leave, the outlook for parents today is considerably different to what parents have faced over the past five decades.

The month of September is traditionally a baby boom period, with recent figures predicting 20 per cent more births.

The research has shown that these new babies will be born into a considerably different family environment to the babies of the Sixties.

Fifty years ago, at the start of the historic baby boom of the 1960s, just 6 per cent of mums were not married when they gave birth compared to nearly half today and mothers were, on average, two years younger than todays mothers.

The typical family dynamic has changed too - there are now nearly three million lone-parent families and the role of grandparents has also evolved within the family unit, with nearly one in four of modern day parents financially aided by their grandparents.