Britain is a nation of mummy’s boys and girls, whose mums are their best friends, according new research. A survey of 2,010 UK adults carried out by One4all, the Post Office gift card, found almost half of Brits (43%) say their mum is one of their BFFs.
1 in 4 (24%) speak to their mum every day, while 29% see them at least once every week.
This could be in part down to the role mums are now playing in the lives of their offspring. Many support with childcare when they become grandparents and Brits now live in the family home for longer before they flee the nest – suggesting Brits spend more time with them.
When quizzed on the relationship they have with their mothers, respondents said she plays a much bigger role in their life than just a parental figure, a quarter said they enjoy socialising with their mum.
Almost 1 in 3 (31%) said they would turn to their mum first with any good news, while 30% would reach out to their mum if they were in trouble, suggesting she’s more than just a shoulder to cry on
Aoife Davey, group marketing manager at One4all Gift Cards commented: “It’s really lovely to see ahead of Mother’s Day just how much of an important role British mums are playing in their children’s lives, even when they have grown up.
“From the number of respondents who consider their mum one of their best friends, to the amount Britons see and speak to their mums, it’s clear to see that the relationship is in fact more of a friendship, out of choice, rather than a parental one.”
Millennials are leading the trend – 25-34 year olds were the age group who most commonly count their mum as a BFF.
There was some love lost however between British adults and their mums during the teenage years - adolescent Brits spent six years avoiding quality time with their mum as they grow up, before turning 20 and realising that mum is the word.
The biggest mummy’s boys and girls can be found in London, where almost 1 in 3 (31%) speak to their mum every day, followed by Sheffield, where 29% of locals do the same.
