Middle-class parents 'put work before their children'

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It claims parents are "cash rich" but "time poor", with half feeling they should be at home more often to eat a family meal and help with school work. Instead, they try to compensate by taking their children on special trips at weekends. But the report found that parent-child relationships had "broken down" in "a sizeable minority" of families.

The researchers warned that children in these strained families were far more likely to take extreme risks, such as trying drugs, getting into fights and drinking.

The findings came in a survey of nearly 4,000 parents and children for the Department for Schools.

Only 44 per cent of parents earning more than £45,000 a year spent time at home with their family at least four times a week. But 60 per cent of lower earners, on less than £10,000, enjoyed regular family time at home.

Margaret Morrissey, from lobby group Parents Outloud, said: "Parents feel completely inadequate. They read about parents who cook a fresh meal every night, chat with their kids and read them a story. That world does not exist any more."