Confessions of a mum: a survey reveals nation’s top ‘mum sins’
A survey by Frankie & Benny's reveals nation’s top ‘mum sins’ with More than 90% of mums say it's impossible to parent without telling white lies. Here are the top 25! This Mother’s Day (Sunday 27 March), mums across the UK are invited to purge their ‘mum sins’ to an all-knowing agony aunt at Frankie & Benny’s, all over a free glass of bubbles.
3 in 5 Brit mums admit to feeling an overwhelming pressure to be the perfect parent, but whether it’s white lies like ‘carrots will help you see in the dark’ or ‘turning the clocks forward so they go to bed earlier’, no Mum is absolutely perfect – and nor should they be expected to be.
A brand-new survey by Frankie & Benny’s asked mums about their ‘mothering sins’ and white lies, including hiding an item of clothing that your child loves but you hate, raiding their sweetie stash or googling answers to their homework.
Of the 1,008 mums asked, on average, it found that mums commit at least 4 a week – and the overwhelming majority (95%) said these ‘sins’ help them keep them sane and be a better mum overall.
A similar number (93%) said it is virtually impossible to parent without telling a few white lies. And while the majority of mums say they are able to confess their sins to their friends and partners, at least 10% don’t have anyone to offload onto for fear of being judged.
That’s why, this Mother’s Day Frankie & Benny’s is converting some of its famous booths into "Mothering Sunday Confessional Booths” and offering mums to enjoy their Mother’s Day meal with a side of relief.
Manned by professional Agony Aunts, mums across the UK can visit the booths and share their funny parenting tales, confess any cheeky mothering sins or just chat to a friendly face who will listen with open ears. All whilst enjoying a free glass of bubbles whilst they wait for their meal.
TOP 25 MOTHERING SINS - according to the nation’s Mums:·
Pretending to watch their favourite TV show but actually scrolling through social media (54%)·
Having a secret stash of treats that your kids know nothing about (54%)·
Using Google to help your child do their homework (53%)·
Raiding your child’s sweet stash when they have gone to bed (48%)·
“Borrowing” money from your child’s piggybank (40%)·
Coming up with a made-up answer to a tough question (40%)·
Sneaking veg into their food (40%)·
Polishing off your child's Easter egg when they are at school (40%)·
Telling your child, the walk you’re going on is short when actually it’s really long (37%)·
Pretending you’re going to bed, so they do, then sneaking back down to watch TV (34%)·
Sending your kids to school when they’ve got a cold when too busy to have them at home (33%)·
Calling your child by their family nickname in front of their mates (24%)·
Borrowing their birthday money and forgetting to repay it (24%)·
Forgetting to organise a costume for World Book Day (23%)·
Telling your child if the ice cream van is playing music, they’re out of ice cream (23%)·
Forgetting non-uniform day at school (22%)·
Hiding an item of clothing your child loves but you hate (21%)·
Nicking your child’s phone charger (19%)·
Telling your child the smoke alarms are Father Christmas’s spy cameras (19%)·
Making up an elaborate lie so you don’t have to have their friends over for a sleepover (17%)·
Pretending the internet is “down” so they can’t go online (16%)·
Forgetting to wash their PE kit so they go in with muddy shorts (14%)·
“Losing” their console controller until they’ve done their homework (14%)·
Following your child’s friends on social media to see what they’re up to (9%)·
Turning the clocks forward so they go to bed earlier (8%)
[The Mother’s Day booths can be found at the family-favourite restaurants located on The Strand in London, Printworks in Manchester and Braehead, Glasgow on Mother's Day between 1 – 4PM.]
