This year, 5,866 parents have shared their concerns about their children’s happiness, safety and behaviour, and their own loneliness and the challenges of being a parent in today’s world. The National Parent Survey 2025 amplifies their voices, sparking conversations that matter. Honest, challenging and inspiring, these voices demand attention and action, from schools, communities and policymakers alike.
Parenting can be overwhelming. Around 3.7 million parents say raising children is difficult, with mums feeling the strain more than dads (37% vs 30%). Time pressures, juggling responsibilities, financial worries, emotional fatigue, lack of support and the challenges of modern life, from technology to child behaviour, all contribute.
“[My wife and I] both went part time to share the load, due to high childcare costs. This was about a year after they were born. Up until they started school there was support from NCT playgroups etc. Once they started school I felt quite lost between drop off and pickup and couldn’t really find anyone to talk to about how I was feeling.” – Jeff Austin, dad to 12-year-old twins
Support is what parents need most. They want accessible childcare, emotional and practical help for children with special educational needs, peer networks and community connections. With 860,000 parents feeling lonely daily and 2 million mums reporting a negative impact on their mental health, these figures highlight the urgent need for practical, emotional and financial support for parents across the UK.
Schools should be safe spaces, but almost one million children feel unsafe. Children from the poorest homes and those with special educational needs are twice as likely to feel unsafe compared to better-off peers or those without additional needs. About half of children who feel unsafe fear bullies, and a third fear physical attack.
“Being a parent can be difficult for me because it’s a huge responsibility to ensure my child’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being, while also balancing my own needs and priorities. Managing the emotional demands of parenting, such as worrying about my child’s happiness and safety, can be overwhelming at times. Additionally, finding quality time for myself and my relationships outside of parenting can be a significant challenge.” – Anonymous
Unhappiness at school rises sharply between primary and secondary school, from 12% to 25%, with 879,000 children unhappy because they find lessons boring. 3 million children are affected by poor behaviour and fewer than half of parents say children at their child’s school are well-behaved . Over 2 million children were bullied last year. Strict schools see less bullying, and parents report greater satisfaction in how incidents are handled, highlighting the importance of safe and structured learning environments.
More than 3.5 million parents have requested a special educational needs (SEN) assessment for their child, yet many have faced long waits and inconsistent support. Income plays a major role: parents on lower incomes are twice as likely to say it has been difficult to get the support their child needs for their SEN needs compared to better-off parents.
“The challenges of raising a teenager with autism are mentally exhausting.” – Anonymous
“[I’m a] single disabled mum with minimal support. [My] child has learning difficulties and getting them assessed and diagnosed has been a nightmare.” – Anonymous
“Being a parent of a child with significant additional needs is extremely challenging. There is very little support available and any support that is out there, is increasingly difficult to get.” – Anonymous
Having a child with SEN takes a heavy toll. Nearly a million parents report mental health challenges, while 15% have given up work to care for their child. 600,000 parents have struggled to find a school with adequate provision, and 1.6 million children are not having all their needs met. These findings highlight the immense pressures parents face navigating education, finances and wellbeing for their children.
With the generous support of our National Parent Survey Patrons
78-79 Pall Mall,
London
SW1Y 5ES
parentkind.org
policy@parentkind.org
Registered charity number 1072833