May 2013

Th

e A

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A M

UM

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ids R

ep

ort

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No matter what else changes, our mums tell us one thing stays constant: their kids will always be their number one priority. This time last year mums told us they feared opportunities for the younger generation were stalling. One year on and those concerns haven’t eased - the biggest worry mums have is still overwhelmingly their children’s future job prospects. However in our most recent survey we have seen some effects of the recession that have been altogether more positive.

As a mum myself, I’m delighted to join Mumdex at such an interesting time. Our latest research shows the Mumdex optimism figure has risen from the bleak -18 seen in January to an encouraging -13 in April. This is just one point higher than this time last year, showing that quarterly changes have levelled over the course of the year. We can see big improvements from January to April in mums’ optimism around their household finances and quality of life, in comparison to the stagnation of pessimism around the economy. Although areas outside of their control are still worrying them, this inspires confidence that mums are managing to take control of their lives after experiencing some very difficult and enduring financial challenges. We are all concerned about the challenges this generation of kids is facing, having to grow up at the time of a double dip recession. Encouragingly, it seems that it has also taught them some valuable life lessons. We have seen from our research that finances are now firmly on the family agenda. While we know

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our mums want to shield their kids from financial concerns, they are increasingly taking an honest and open approach, and are teaching them important lessons in finance and budgeting. The result of this is a generation of kids which is more financially aware and is becoming actively involved in household money matters.

This Mumdex report is particularly exciting for us, as for the first time we have also surveyed 500 8-18 year-olds as part of our Mumdex panel. Being able to hear directly from kids themselves has helped us to really understand what the recession has meant for the younger generation and how they feel about their future. The results have been eye opening. Far from expecting things to be handed to them on a silver platter, kids today are cautious about their spending and are keen to earn their money. They understand that their parents may be finding it tough and they want to help. I think the fact that such a high proportion of kids are offering to give back their pocket money, or are asking for more modest presents than usual speaks volumes about their collective attitude.

While the external environment may prove to be challenging for kids, this has done nothing to dampen their enthusiasm. Children today are proactive and have entrepreneurial ambitions for their future. They are keen to get the best academic qualifications and a quarter told us they have ambitions to set up their own business. Interestingly, mums told us that while most kids have their sights set on university, they themselves place greater value on vocational skills and training, such as apprenticeships.

Opportunities may be stalling, but as we know mums are resilient and are still doing their best to give their kids the best possible start in life. Three quarters of mums believe that access to lessons on finance and budgeting is the most important thing for kids to lead happy and successful lives. They are taking their role in this seriously, but would like schools to be taking on a greater share of the responsibility. Children today are facing a future where their aspirations and entrepreneurial spirit are guided within an ever-present mindfulness of financial responsibility.

I’m always heartened by the resilience our mums show in difficult times, and it is encouraging that our latest research shows the younger generation have the same strength and spirit.

INTRODUCTION

Hayley Tatum, Executive People Director

3 4

ECONOMy

Mums’ net optimism about the outlook for

the UK economy

BASE: 1836 MUMS

HOUSEHOLDfINANCES

Mums’ net optimism about their household finances

QUALITy Of LIfE

Mums’ net optimism about the future of their family’s quality of life

COMMUNITy

Mums’ net optimism about the future of community spirit in

their local area

The Mumdex is an average of mums’ net optimism about the economy, their

household finances, their family’s quality of life and the future of community spirit,

tracked by Asda each month.

+7

+4

+8

-55

-5 +10

-4

2013 2014

MAy SEP MARjUL NOv fEBjUN OCTAPR

-5

-10

-20

-25

-15

AUg DEC jAN

THE MUMDEXMAy 2013:

-13

APR

MUMS’ LITTLE HELPERS

say their kids have given

back, or offered to give back, some of their pocket money

say their kids tell them about

promotions in thesupermarket.

say their kids do

odd jobs to earn their pocket

money

37%

of mums get help to navigate theonline world

* All above results in this quadrant have been surveyed from mums who have children who are 12-18 years old

22%

22%

31%

BASE: 602

-2

3 4

CASH ON THE CURRICULUM

THE yOUNg APPRENTICES...IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The top three business people that children look up to are Lord Sugar, Sir Richard Branson and David Beckham

A quarter of 13-18 year-olds have a part time job

22% of kids plan

to set up their

own business

NEWSPAPER

7

64%call for greater

access to apprenticeships

77%+=19/*02/>8(<)ALGEBRASTATISTICSFINANCES

think kids need more access to finance lessons to help them lead happy

and successful lives

A third want more support

for kids to start their own

business

BASE: 506 8-18 YEAR-OLDS

BASE: 1836

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KEy MUMDEX STATS

CASH-SAvvy KIDS Nearly half of mums of 12-18 year olds say one result of the recession is that they are more aware of money and its value

Two thirds of mums say their 12-18 year-old kids are aware that the family has to watch the pennies

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THE PIggy-BANK POUND One in five 12-18 year olds have given back, or offered to give back, some of their pocket money

Over a third of 12-18 year olds have asked for more modest presents than usual

Almost half of kids aged 8-18 say they get their pocket money in exchange for doing chores, rather than getting it for nothing

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THE yOUNg APPRENTICE Two thirds of children want to go to university, however more than a third of mums think that doing an apprenticeship is the best route to success

A quarter of children aged 8-18 plan to start their own business

4

MUMS’ LITTLE HELPERS Two thirds of mums say their kids have actively helped them to save money in the current economic climate

A quarter of mums say it is their 12-18 year olds who tell them about promotions in the supermarket

5

jOBS NEED A jUMP START Two-thirds feel their children’s lives have been impacted by the recession

The biggest worry mums have remains their children’s future job prospects

6

PUTTINg CASH ON THE CURRICULUM 77% of mums see “lessons on finance and budgeting” as being most important for kids to lead happy and successful lives

31% would trust schools to teach kids about the value of money but 80% think they aren’t doing enough

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THE MUMDEX - MUMS’ MOOD The Mumdex figure has risen to -13 this month, the second highest it’s been in the last 12 months

1

6

5 6

1 THE MUMDEX - MUMS’ MOOD

Every quarter, we produce the Mumdex figure – an index tracking mums’ optimism. For the past 15 months, we’ve been asking our mums how they feel about the UK economy, their household finances, their quality of life, and their community; the average of these four measures forms the basis for the overall Mumdex figure. During this time, the Mumdex has seen various peaks and troughs – starting at -8 in January 2012 and settling on -13 in April 2013 (the second-highest it’s been in the past 12 months). Compared to the results from last quarter it looks like life has become slightly easier for our mums, with the index rising five points from -18 in January 2013. A pessimistic outlook for the

UK economy remains (-55), as do mixed feelings about the strength of local community (-4) – both measures have increased by a singlepoint only. Much more positive are the scores given to optimism for household finances (-5) and overall quality of life (10) – these have leapt up by six and eight points respectively and are the biggest drivers of the overall improvement in the Mumdex figure.

Looking at different parts of the UK, Northern Irish mums are the most pessimistic, and those in the South and Scotland are tied as themost optimistic.

-9SCOTLAND

-17NORTH

-14MIDLANDS

-9SOUTH

-20WALES

-23NORTHERN

IRELAND

2013 2014

MAy SEP MARjUL NOv fEBjUN OCTAPR

-5

-10

-20

-25

-15

AUg DEC jAN

THE MUMDEXMAy 2013:

-13

APR

The recession seems to have had a positive influence in teaching our kids valuable life lessons. Children of today are more financially aware, which should stand them in good stead for their future. We find this is particularly true for children currently aged 12-18 - those old enough to be able to comprehend the concept of money but still young enough to feel the security of their parents’ home life.

It seems the recession is putting financial awareness on the family agenda. Mums of 12-18

year olds are much more open about financial issues now, with 58% of mums talking to their kids about family finances more than their parents spoke to them. Two thirds of mums say their 12-18 year-old kids are aware that the family has to ‘watch the pennies’.

7 8

While comparing our Mumdex results to last quarter tells an interesting and fairly positive story, something quite different emerges when we look at the results from February, March, and April individually: all four optimism measures – UK economy, household finances, quality of life and local community – saw significant drops from February to March, coinciding with the Chancellor delivering his Budget. Indeed, outlook for quality of life turned from net optimism to pessimism as scores fell below zero for the first time ever.

Following some of the biggest drops since we started tracking mums’ optimism, the scores not only recovered in April, they actually surged past their February levels, completely overturning the dips in March. With Community the smallest mover (+6), the other three measures all saw double-digit increases to more than make up the optimism lost before the budget. The main two drivers of the monthly improvement are the sharp increases in optimism for our mums’ household finances and their quality of life - those factors within mums’ control. By comparison, the outlook for the economy has not seen major fluctuations over the past year – people seem to be just as pessimistic about the national economy asthey were.

There are several different possible causes in the spike of pessimism we see in March, including the Chancellor’s Budget, the ongoing economic concerns, or even the arrival of bigger-than-average fuel bills as the extended winter made the cold linger beyond February. It looks like the doom and gloom everyone anticipated before the details of the Budget were announced has given way to cautious optimism: scores plummeted as mums worried about their family’s future, but corrected themselves as households were given more time to calculate the real impact the Budget would have on their lives and their bank balances. It is possible that after years of economic stagnation, with no confidence of recovery in the short-term, our mums have simply got to grips with the idea of austerity and are adjusting their lifestyle accordingly. This could explain why their outlook for the economy as a whole has not improved, but at the same time why they’re more bullish about balancing their own books.

As the effects of the recession continue to affect daily life, our mums are discussing household expenses with the whole family and as a result children are becoming conscious of the financial decisions being made. With this understanding, children are changing their attitudes and behaviours concerning the money they and their family spend.

• Nearly half of mums of 12-18 year olds say one result of the recession is that they are more aware of money and its value • Two thirds of mums say their 12-18 year-old kids are aware that the family has to watch the pennies

2 CASH-SAvvy KIDS

54%

are teaching their

12-18 year-old kids

that BOgOf and

2-4-1 offers might

not be genuine

savings

Mums still want to shield their children as much as they can from any financial concerns they may have but by having family discussions around money, children are now more aware of financial implications and expect to prioritise and save up.

40% of mums say their 12-18 year-old kids talk to them about what the family can afford and 58% of 8-18 year old children say they save more of their pocket money now.

Children are also being encouraged to take control of their own finances – 82% of mums encourage their kids to save up to buy the things they want and 75% have opened a bank account for them. Mums are also teaching their children to be financially savvy, with two thirds warning their kids to be cautious about buying things on credit and one half teaching their kids that ‘two for one’ and ‘buy one get one free’ offers are not always genuine savings.

7 8

Nearly half of mums

of 12-18 year olds

say one result of

the recession is

that their children

are more aware of

money and its value

91% of children aged 8-18 say they know more about money now

“Both of my children have decided to go for online banking specifically to keep an eye on finances on their smart phones. They have also asked to keep their mobile phones and go ‘SIM only’ and not asking for the latest upgrade.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“from a young age, I have always ensured my daughter has had a choice on how and what we spend our household weekly budget on. The younger they are aware of the choices needed to be made, the sooner they value money and the cost of living.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“I have found that by my husband and I being honest with our children they have surprised us by being very sympathetic to our situation and have stopped asking for things and instead trying to help us work out how we can save money.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

Showing them how you budget

Encouraging saving for items

they want

Opening a savings account

Teaching them that‘2for1’ &

BOGOF deals may not be genuine

savings

HOW, If AT ALL, ARE yOU SHOWINg yOUR CHILDREN THE vALUE Of MONEy?

BASE: 612 MUMS OF 12 -18 YEAR-OLDS

Teaching them to be cautious about

credit

82%45%

1245

2568

7845

6982

62%75% 54%

As the recession has created a climate of financial openness within the family, children are becoming more aware of the need to earn money and are becoming actively involved in household monetary matters.

With an increased awareness of financial matters, children today have cautious spending habits. Only 26% of mums say their 12-18 year olds spend money as soon as they get it, whereas 63% save up their money for the things they want to buy.

3 THE PIggy-BANK POUND

Within this context of openness around the household finances, children are becoming more careful with their spending and are prepared to work hard to earn their money.

• One in five 12-18 year olds have given back, or offered to give back, some of their pocket money• Over a third of 12-18 year olds have asked for more modest presents than usual• Almost half of kids aged 8-18 say they get their pocket money in exchange for doing chores, rather than getting it for nothing

“I was surprised by how much my children had become aware of the current economic situation and was touched by their efforts to help which ranged from simple things like not asking for big presents to being willing to do chores without expecting payment.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“My daughter has always learnt that you don’t get something for nothing in this world and if she wanted money she had to earn it. This has certainly paid off now she is at university. She is very budget conscious and makes sure her student finances last her until the end of the term. If she can’t afford it she won’t do it.” (Mum, Asda Mumspace forum)

9 10

WHICH, If ANy, Of THE fOLLOWINg DESCRIBE yOUR CHILDREN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEy AND fINANCES?

BASE: 612 MUMS OF 12-18 YEAR-OLDS

Spend money as soon as they get it

26%Save up their

money for things they want to buy

63%Have a bank or

savings account

74%Do odd-jobs or

chores for money

37%

4 THE yOUNg APPRENTICE

This generation of children expects to earn their money, rather than just being handed pocket money. A quarter of mums say their 12-18 year olds already have a part-time job, while 37% of them say they do odd jobs and chores to earn their pocket money. A quarter of kids aged 8-18 say they have sold things they don’t need any more online.

Some young people are even helping in a more direct way, by making sacrifices themselves, such as asking for more modest presents and offering to give their pocket money back.

1 in 512-18 year-olds have

offered or given

back some of their

pocket money

37%of 12-18 year-olds have asked for more modest presents

than usual

9 10

Our kids show signs of determined ambition and entrepreneurial spirit, but the path to success for children of this generation may be changing. Mums are now favouring practical, real-world experience over academia which is presenting monetary barriers.

• Two thirds of children want to go to university, however more than a third of mums think that doing an apprenticeship is the best route to success • A quarter of children aged 13-18 plan to start their own business

“My son has received some money from the tooth fairy and told me that he’s all grown up now so he doesn’t want to buy anything, he wants to save the money for a business he wants to start and be like his dad, he is only six!” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

Children are driven and hopeful for the future. When asked who their favourite famous business person is, the most popular choice among children aged 8-18 was Lord Sugar. They also look up to Sir Richard Branson and David Beckham, among others, as successful business people. There seems to be a striking lack of female business role models, with only a handful of mentions for women like Karren Brady.

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12

A discussion in our Asda Mumspace forum highlighted that mums were not surprised by the limited number of businesswomen kids mention as role models, as they feel the media’s representation of business is dominated by men. Mums have a strong belief their children can take inspiration from many people within their lives, but there is a need for children to be taught more about the many successful women in the world today.

Of the children we surveyed aged 13-18, the vast majority are hoping to continue their academic education, with 80% planning to do A-levels (or equivalent) and 62% planning to go to university. A third plan to do an apprenticeship and a quarter are showing their entrepreneurial spirit as they plan to start their own business.

“My daughter has volunteered at a local business every week to gain experience for the future.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“My daughter who is 15 has in the last six months got two babysitting jobs and a paper round. She has managed to keep to them so I am very proud.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“My daughter has a long term positive approach to education, even though we may not be able to afford university she is now starting to save for it and looking to see if she can get an apprenticeship.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“I’m not surprised at the result; all are high profile and in the media on a regular basis. Interestingly I would probably have chosen males too. I do not think there are enough decent female role models. I have two boys and apart from football related celebrities the other most obvious ones to them are the ones they are exposed to on the Tv - perhaps females should get a better press.” (Mum, Asda Mumspace forum)

80%

72%

64%

62%

51%

45%

41%

29%

29%

26%

22%

Take your A-Levels/finish secondary school

Work experience/on the job training

Go travelling

Go to university

Learn a language

Play team sport

Volunteer for charity work

Learn a musical instrument

Do an apprenticeship

Learn/study drama skills and the arts generally

Start your own business

DO yOU PLAN TO DO ANy Of THE fOLLOWINg IN THE fUTURE?

BASE: 277 13-18 YEAR-OLDS

11 12

12

While children’s ambitions focus on the academic route to work via university, mums place more value on the experience their children can learn from the working environment. More than a third of mums believe the life path that will lead their children to most success is to learn a trade via an apprenticeship after GCSEs, an opinion held most keenly by mums in Wales (42%).

Asda mums really value practical training overall, and we see this is becoming more important to mums than academic learning. A quarter of mums complain that children today have the wrong attitude to work and won’t take on entry-level jobs (although this complaint is less pronounced in Northern Ireland, 17%). Two thirds think work experience/on the job training is important to equip their children to make the most out of life, and two in five think apprenticeships are important. This is compared to 36% who think going to university is important; here, Welsh and Northern Irish mums disagree, with those in Wales placing a much higher premium on apprenticeships, and those in Northern Ireland thinking that university is the best way forward for their kids.*

Thirteen per cent say that vocational / work skills are the most important life skill they want their children to learn for 12%, compared to 14% saying academic ability.

Young mums are the most likely to think it is important to encourage their kids to start their own business (20%) and most likely to say support for being an entrepreneur is most important to help kids lead happy and successful lives (43% compared to 32% average).

Around a fifth of those with kids at home place importance on their children learning a language (22%), going travelling (20%) or playing team sports (16%). Fewer see arts as critical (6% learn a musical instrument and 3% drama skills); while these are low scores, it’s important to note that not everyone places such a high premium on more functional areas like apprenticeships. With many worrying about creativity in schools going unnurtured, it’s interesting to see that there are a number of mums who still see the value of kids learning arts subjects.

*Regional statistics can be found on pages 23 & 24

WHICH Of THE fOLLOWINg DO yOU THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO ENCOURAgE yOUNg PEOPLE TO DO SO THAT THEy ARE EQUIPPED TO MAKE THE MOST OUT Of LIfE?

BASE: 1836 MUMS

66% 44% 36% 32% 22% 19% 15% 9% 5% 3%

Do an apprenticeship

Go to university Take their A - Levels

Learn a language

Go travelling Play team sports

Start their own business

Learn a musical instrument

Drama skills andthe arts

generally

Work experience / on the job training

11 12

13 14

63%

of children aged

8-18 say they have

offered to help

their parents more

around the house

“My children collected online vouchers before going out for dinner, so they could surprise me with money off the final bill!” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

“I am touched that my 14 year old son seeks out three for two offers or will work out the saving on ‘big value’ products to see what the real saving is.” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

5 MUMS’ LITTLE HELPERS

from being more active around the house and helping with new gadgets to searching for money saving deals online, mums find their kids are helping them more than ever.

• Two thirds of mums say their kids have actively helped them to save money in the current economic climate • A quarter of mums say it is their 12-18 year olds who tell them about promotions in the supermarket

Children are able to contribute to their parents’ lives in many helpful ways in addition to the happiness they naturally bring on an emotional level. Children can have a positive influence on their mums in practical ways and they want to help their parents where they can, such as helping around the house.

A superior knowledge of technology means kids are able to help their parents with new household gadgets. A third of mums say their children have helped them when they buy and use new technology – this is especially true for those with children 12 or over. A quarter of mums get help from their children to navigate the online world – rising to a third of mums with children aged12 or over.

This comes at a time when children are increasingly exposed to marketing on multiple online channels and becoming much more savvy shoppers at an early age. Nearly one in four mums say their 12-18 year-olds are actually telling them about promotions in the supermarket and one in six say their 12-18 year-olds are helping them to find bargains or save money.

Older children (18+) particularly have learnt the importance of financial responsibility and they also help with more practical financial tips – telling their mums about supermarket promotions (31%), searching for online discounts (22%) sending links to money saving websites (12%) and helping them with price comparison websites (11%).

13 14

A third of mums say their children have helped them when using new technology

Mums with children aged 12-18 ask their children to help them set up a new computer (30%), how to use social networks (38%) and how to change online privacy settings (22%).

38%

22%How to change

your privacy settings online

How to use social networks/

social media (e.g. Facebook,

Twitter)30%Setting up a

new computer

WHICH, If ANy, Of THE fOLLOWINg HAvE yOU ASKED yOUR CHILDREN TO HELP yOU WITH?

BASE: 612 MUMS OF 12-18 YEAR-OLDS

6 jOBS NEED A jUMP START

It is very clear that the global economic problems are impacting our children as they develop into young adults. They also face challenges brought about by unfair representation of young people in the media. Mums are concerned about the constraints their children will face when trying to enter higher education or employment, and are appealing for their kids to receive more help.

• Two-thirds feel their children’s lives have been impacted by the recession • The biggest worry mums have remains to be their children’s future job prospects

There is a feeling that children are facing more difficult times than previous generations and the recession is placing restrictions on children’s development in society.

Asda mums whose kids are living at home ultimately believe their children want to be good citizens (44%), and they feel they will be rewarded for working hard (41%). However, it is apparent that children are very isolated, as

very few mums - just one in seven - believe their children feel part of society (14%), or believe we are ‘in it together’ (14%). Even fewer (8%) think their children feel a connection with society. Kids in Scotland feel the most disenfranchised according to their mums, but Northern Irish mums tend to be more likely to think their kids see how they fit into society at large. Nonetheless, scores are low across the board.

15 16

Showed you how to use price

comparison websites

Sent you links for money-saving

websites

Helped you search for promotions or discounts online

Told you about promotions in the

supermarket

WHICH, If ANy, Of THE fOLLOWINg HAvE yOUR CHILDREN DONE TO HELP yOU SAvE MONEy IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE?

BASE: 802 MUMS OF 18+ YEAR-OLDS

It seems that children are facing a struggle to find their place in society. They may want to make a positive contribution, but feel disconnected and are constrained by negative perceptions of young people portrayed in the media. More than one in three (36%) Asda mums feel we have a lot to learn from young people, and one example of this is that 69% of mums think their kids are better at looking after the environment than they were as children.

Many mums feel the media are somewhat to blame for giving kids a bad name, with more than one in three (38%) saying the media does

not portray kids in a fair light and 61% feeling it is just a small number of kids giving the generation a bad reputation.

think we

underestimate

young people

53%

15 16

WHICH Of THE fOLLOWINg STATEMENTS ABOUT yOUR CHILDREN DO yOU AgREE WITH, If ANy?

BASE: 1273 MUMS

Feel part ofsociety

13%Feel a

connection with society

8%Believe we are in it together

15%Feel if they

work hard theywill be

rewarded

41%Want to be

good citizens

44%

45%say we should listen

more to young

people

Children need support in championing their rights within society, as just one in five mums think young people can do this themselves. The responsibility seems to rest within the family, as one in three mums (35%) believe parents and other family members should be most responsible for championing the rights of kids. By comparison, just 14% deem the government responsible, and even fewer (8%) believe schools should champion their rights. Schools in Scotland are the least popular champions, with only 4% of Scottish mums agreeing.

One in four Asda Mums believe their children have it harder than other generations and two thirds say their children’s lives are impacted by the recession. One in five mums are worried about the effect the UK debt will have on their children, and financial concerns are crowding out other social worries with only 5% of mums or fewer focusing on crime rates, healthcare orthe environment.

We tracked two questions from last year: the biggest worry that mums have for their kids and the biggest cause of youth unemployment.

Neither measure saw significant changes over the past year, with the results being almost identical.

The biggest worry mums have is still overwhelmingly their children’s future job prospects (48%, rising to 60% among those with kids aged 12-18 years), followed by the cost of going to university (15%). Mums are most likely to blame the cause of youth unemployment on the banking crisis for driving the low levels of job creation (30%), and a further 15% blame the ending of useful government schemes.

Concern is highest among those mums with older children, as 95% of mums with children aged 18 or over think the economic climate has affected their children. They are particularly frustrated by the restrictions their children are facing. More than one in three mums (39%) say their 18+ year-old children have had difficulty finding a job, while 35% have not been able to move out of home when they wanted to as they are unable to find affordable housing. With these restrictions holding them back, young adults are finding it hard to become part of society.

17 18

35% say it is parents who should be championing

the rights of kids

“There are people going for the lower paid jobs for those just starting out who are twice the age of the youngsters applying as well. What chance do youngsters have when they are competing against people twice their age for the same job who have more life experience and work experience to boot?” (Mum, Asda Mumdex Survey)

Unsurprisingly, mums want more reassurance for their children’s future, with 71% wanting better training for 16 year-old school leavers (lower in Northern Ireland, 65%), two thirds wanting more practical or vocational training at school, and two thirds also wanting more free university places. Nowhere is the call for more university places louder than in Northern Ireland (78%), where mums are also more worried about the cost of going to university than in other regions (24% compared to the 15% average).

17 18

78% of Northern Irish

mums call for more

free university places

HOW HAS THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE AND RECESSION AffECTED yOUR CHILDREN, If AT ALL?

BASE: 812 MUMS OF 18+ YEAR-OLDS

Have had difficulty finding a job

39%

CV

Have not been able to find affordable

housing

35%Have been unable to move out of home when they would

like to

35%

Cannot afford to pay for car insurance

29%

The economic climate has not

affected my children

5%

7 PUTTINg CASH ON THE CURRICULUM

Mums place critical importance on their children learning the value of money and although they see this as a fundamental part of their parental responsibility, they are demanding greater efforts from the education system to teach financial lessons.

• 77% of mums see “lessons on finance and budgeting” as being most important for kids to lead happy and successful lives• 31% would trust schools to teach kids about the value of money

Parents are taking their role as educators in financial matters seriously. Three quarters see “lessons on finance and budgeting” as being most important for kids to have access to, to help them lead happy and successful lives. In fact, nearly twice as many parents of 12-18 year-

olds pick ‘learning the value of money’ (25%) as the most important life skill they would like their kids to learn rather than ‘academic ability’ (13%) and three times as many pick it over ‘being handy around the house’ (8%).

£££££££

££££

25%

Value of money

13%

Vocational/work skills

8%

Being handy around the house (knowing how to change fuses, DIY, etc.)

1%

Being good at art/music

30%

Good manners

PLEASETHANK YOU

19 20

WHAT IS THE TOP LIfE SKILL yOU WOULD LIKE yOUR KIDS TO LEARN?

BASE: 1836 MUMS

12%

Academic ability

Many parents are taking on this responsibility themselves, as a massive 89% of mums say they and/or their partner are teaching their children the value of money.

• 67% are encouraging them to save • One in four (27%) are showing kids how to

budget• One in three (35%) are teaching them to be

cautious about credit

Parents are also thinking more laterally about how to teach their kids to save money – one in two are encouraging their children to learn to cook from scratch and a similar 49% are encouraging them to keep or reuse things.

There is also scope for parents to get help in teaching their children about finances from other places. Mums call on schools to have a bigger role in providing financial education, as 31% of mums trust their children’s school to teach the value of money but only 20% think they currently do so. This gap shows the appetite for schools to take more of a lead.

“It is up to us as parents to teach our children the value of money. I had to earn my pocket money by keeping my room tidy and helping with chores. Once my daughter is old enough to have pocket money I will do the same with her.” (Mum, Asda Mumspace forum)

Where are they learning about the value of money? Who do you trust to teach them?

You and / or your partner

Your children’s school The Government

89% 91% 20% 31% 1% 1%

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35%are teaching their

kids to be cautious

about credit WHO, If ANy, Of THE fOLLOWINgARE yOUR CHILDREN LEARNINg ABOUT THE vALUE Of MONEy fROM?

DO yOU TRUST TO TEACH yOUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE vALUE Of MONEy?

BASE: 1098 MUMS

Engineer

Engineer

Sportsperson

Teacher

Teacher

Scientist

Scientist

Doctor

Entrepreneur Entrepreneur

Do A-Levels, go to university, get

a job

32% 48% 37% 21% 8% 5% 2% 3% 9% 14%

Kids’ view

63%

Offered to help out morearound the house

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MUMS: BELOW ARE SOME LIfE PATHS THAT DIffERENT PEOPLE MIgHT TAKE - WHICH PATH DO yOU THINK WOULD gIvE THEM MOST SUCCESS?KIDS: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THINg PEOPLE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO BECOME SUCCESSfUL?

BASE: 1836 MUMS 277 13-18 YEAR-OLDS

BASE: 713 MUMS 277 13-18 YEAR-OLDSBASE: 1836 MUMS 506 8-18 YEAR-OLDS

MUMS: WHICH, If ANy, Of THE fOLLOWINg HAvE yOUR

CHILDREN DONE TO HELP yOU SAvE MONEy IN THE

CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE?

WHAT DO yOU REALLy WANT TO BE WHEN yOU gROW UP? WHAT WOULD yOU MOST LIKE yOUR CHILDREN TO BE WHEN

THEy gROW UP?

KIDS: WHICH Of THE fOLLOWINg HAvE yOU DONE TO HELP

yOUR PARENTS?

MUMS’ vIEW KIDS’ vIEW

After GCSES, get an apprenticeship and learn a trade

Do A-Levels, go to university, start own business

Do A-Levels, no university, get ajob after leaving

school

Kids’ top five Careers

Mums withkids at home

22%

Do A-Levels, no to university,

start own business

DIffERENCE BETWEEN MUMS & KIDS

Mums’ top five Careers

WHAT OUR KIDS NEED TO BE SUCCESSfUL

WISH LIST

1.

2.

3.

77% THINK KIDS NEED ACCESS TO fINANCE LESSONS IN ORDER TO HELP THEM LEAD HAPPy AND SUCCESSfUL LIvES

A THIRD WANT MORE SUPPORT fOR KIDS TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS

64% CALL fOR gREATER ACCESS TO APPRENTICESHIPS

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WITH KIDS AND THEIR fUTURE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITy fOR MUMS, THE TOP THREE THINgS THEy ARE CALLINg fOR SUPPORT ON ARE...

REgIONAL MUMDEX STATISTICS

KEyRegional Mumdex figure: average of mums’ net optimism/pessimism about the economy, their household finances, their families’ quality of life and the future of community spirit in the region

University: percentage of mums who think it’s important to encourage kids to go to university

Apprenticeships: percentage of mums who think it’s important to encourage kids to do an apprenticeships

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-20

WALES

Base: 97 mums

39%

55%

-9

SCOTLAND

Base: 170 mums

42%

43%

-14

MIDLANDS

Base: 326 mums

41%

42%

-9

SOUTH

Base: 575 mums

34%

43%

-17

NORTH

Base: 596 mums

33%

46%

-23

Base: 63 mums

48%

30%

NORTHERN IRELAND

THE MUMDEXMAy 2013:

-13

A BREAKDOWN Of REgIONAL DASHBOARD STATISTICS

ALL MUMS SOUTH MIDLANDS NORTH WALES SCOTLAND NI

BASE 1836 575 326 596 97 170 63

More access to finance lessons 77% 78% 77% 78% 76% 72% 83%

More support to start a business 32% 33% 33% 32% 23% 34% 33%

Greater access to apprenticeships 64% 64% 62% 63% 72% 65% 56%

ALL MUMS SOUTH MIDLANDS NORTH WALES SCOTLAND NI

BASE 1836 575 326 596 97 170 63

Mumdex -13 -9 -14 -17 -20 -9 -23

Household Finances -5 -5 -3 -5 -6 9 -35

UK Economy -55 -46 -59 -60 -56 -58 -68

Community -4 2 -1 -9 -16 -2 -10

Quality of Life 10 12 8 7 -1 16 -22

MUMDEX

An average of mums’ net optimism/pessimism about the economy, their household finances, their families’ quality of life and the future of community spirit in the region.

WHO WILL HELP OUR KIDS?

Of the following, which do you think are most important for kids to have greater access to in order to help them lead happy and successful lives?

Regional statistics for the “Mums’ Little Helpers” and the “Start Up Youth” sections are not available as that data cannot be broken down any further.

DISCLAIMER

This report was produced by the Asda PR and insight teams, working in conjunction with Vision Critical and freud communications. For more information please contact Bee Rycroft on Bee.Rycroft@asda.co.uk or 0113 826 3448

Leeds, May 2013

METHODOLOgy

The data in this report was collected via our Mumdex panel, a subsection of Asda’s Pulse of the Nation panel. It is made up of over 5,500 female Asda shoppers, all with kids, and across a broad spectrum of socioeconomic groups, regions and ages.

Unless otherwise stated, statistics are based on the responses of 1,836 Asda Mums who answered our Mumdex survey in April 2013 and 506 8-18 year-olds. The report also contains findings from the Asda Mumspace online forum.

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