Continued financial pressures are impacting on the welfare of British families, as more fathers are assuming the role of family breadwinners, whilst more new mothers elect to stay at home with the baby. Additionally, over a quarter (27%) of working parents feels under pressure to excel at work and be a good parent, illustrating the changing realities faced by parents in today’s Britain.

The report explores how families’ financial situations have changed over the past year and examines in greater detail whether parents re-evaluated their spending priorities over the past year. The report further examines changes in family lifestyle and activities that families do together. Finally, it looks at fathers’ use of the internet and mobile technologies that help with parenting. It also examines the sources that they typically go to for advice on raising their offspring.

Mintel conducted online consumer research in August 2012 on a sample of 1,000 internet users aged 16+ who are fathers of children aged 0-18.