Mums dread children growing up

Mums are finding it harder than ever to watch their kids grow up and gain independence, a survey has found.

A thousand mums were questioned in the survey, carried out by Hallmark. It revealed that 55 per cent of mums were dreading their children leaving home, with over a quarter of mums admitting they didn’t want their children to grow up.

According a quarter of the mums, 'giving their children independence' was one of the hardest things about being a mum. A worry for 26 per cent of mums was that children flying the nest meant they couldn’t keep an eye on them kids all the time.

Adulthood and teenage years were voted the most unpopular period of motherhood in the survey, suggesting that mums are find this period harder.

The best thing about motherhood was family time, said 44 per cent of mums.

Perhaps surprisingly, only seven per cent of mums said they craved more time for themselves.

Mum of two, Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen is supporting Hallmark’s Cards for a Cure™ campaign this year. Speaking about her own experiences of being a mum she said: "I've enjoyed the process of being a mother more as the girls have grown up. I found the early years very stressful and strangely lonely. There's a huge pride in watching them mature and I wish I could be with them every step of the way. I think parenthood is all about giving your children the ammunition to be independent human beings"

The research was conducted as part of Hallmark Cards’ annual Cards for a Cure™ campaign which contributes a quarter of a million pounds to Breast Cancer Campaign and Action Breast Cancer.