‘Be a calm, loving partner or parent’: SA parents least likely to yell at their kids, survey finds

A new survey has found that SA mums and dads are the least likely in Australia to yell at their kids – but there are other parent traps that trip them up.

South Australian mums and dads are less likely to yell at their kids or feel guilty about how much time they spend together than parents elsewhere in the country, a new survey reveals.

However, concerns about finances and how screen time affects children are higher in SA.

The results of a nationwide survey of more than 8300 parents and carers have laid bare the impact of rising living costs, sleep deprivation, technology and other challenges on Aussie families.

The survey was run by the creators of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, a free government-funded online course and support service used by more than 270,000 Australian parents.

Professor Matt Sanders, founder of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program.

Co-creator Professor Matt Sanders, from the University of Queensland, said the results “expose what’s really going on for families in Australia right now”.

“It shows how complex the journey of parenting can be and how critical it is to provide families who are at the coalface of these issues with the evidence-based support they need,” he said.

Parents in all states and territories were feeling financial pressures, suffering from lack of sleep and looking for more guidance on how to manage social media and screen time for their kids.

However, in SA they were the least likely to yell or raise their voice at their children, with 41 per cent saying they did so at least once a week compared to a high of 48 per cent in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

While nearly two-thirds of parents across the country felt a pang of guilt at least once every week about how much time they spend with their children, the rate was lowest in SA (60 per cent) compared to a high of 72 per cent in the NT.

SA parents were the most concerned their children’s screen time was undermining their parenting (63 per cent).

South Australian mums and dads are less likely to yell at their kids or feel guilty about how much time they spend together than parents elsewhere in the country. Generic image.

However, they were less concerned about social media specifically. Just a third said it caused conflict with their children at least once a week, compared to three-quarters of parents in the ACT and NT.

The rising cost of living has prompted nine in 10 SA parents to cut back on spending but holidays are one luxury they are less willing to give up, with 58 per cent scrapping trips away compared to 79 per cent of Tasmanians and 77 per cent of Territorians.

Prof Sanders said the survey found two in five respondents felt financial pressures were affecting their ability to “be a calm, loving partner or parent”.

The survey also found:

The most sleep-deprived parents in the nation live in the ACT, where 92 per cent of people with at least one child aged five or younger felt impaired by lack of sleep at least once a week. This compared to 80 per cent in SA.

Parents in WA were the most unhappy about the amount of time they spent on self care. In SA four in 10 parents felt dissatisfied with how much time they got to themselves.

“Self-care, self-compassion and sleep are crucial skills that help parents to feel calmer and to confidently navigate the ups and downs of raising kids,” Prof Sanders said.

“But we know it’s easier said than done. What’s important is parents know they are not alone in these struggles, that looking after themselves is critical and it’s okay to seek help and support.”

Find support at triplep-parenting.net.au.