Is your child happier than you were growing up?

SIX out of 10 working parents with pre-school children believe the quality of life for their Celtic Tiger cubs is better than their own childhood.

The figure rises to seven in 10 in households where at least one parent has remained at home to rear the children. These are the parents most likely to agree their children have a better quality of life. In homes where both parents work full-time, the quality of life rating drops slightly to 64%. However, a high percentage of households (28%) where both parents work and their children are pre-school age estimate the quality of children’s lives is “neither better nor worse” than their own.

The percentage of these households who believed their children’s quality of life is better - 59% - is lower than the general population of parents and tallies with the figure for single parents.