LISTEN UP
***This random double-opt in survey was conducted by OnePoll, a market research company and corporate member of ESOMAR and adheres to the MRS code of conduct. For more information about OnePoll’s research in the media, navigate to their portfolio here: http://www.onepoll.com/in-the-media/
NEWS COPY - WITH GRAPHIC AND VIDEO - https://we.tl/HERSOTIWyw
Seven in 10 Americans feel they’d be much better off in life – if they’d only listened to their parents more growing up.
They may have told us we’d get curly hair if we didn’t eat our crusts, scold us for leaving our vegetables or sitting too close to the TV, but it turns out there are certain pearls of parenting wisdom we all wish we’d taken more seriously.
That’s the verdict of a new study of 2,000 Americans which found financial advice tops the list of parental advice they wish they’d paid more attention to earlier in life.
Nearly 50 percent felt they’d be in a better position financially if they’d done just that.
But it doesn’t stop with our bank accounts, survey respondents also shared three in 10 people believe they would have achieved greater career success if they’d been more receptive to their parents’ recommendations growing up.
While many regret tuning out their parents when it comes to finding a partner – more than a quarter felt they’d be enjoying a better love life if they’d followed parental guidance on matters of the heart.
A fifth of those polled even think they’d be in better physical health today had they listened more closely to life lessons from Mom and Dad.
And more than two thirds of the 2,000 respondents wished they’d paid more attention when their parents insisted that they should always knuckle down and try hard in school.
The research, commissioned by Mint.com, found 85 percent regret not saving more money at an earlier age as advised by their parents. And one in five wish they’d listened to tips about getting into real estate earlier on.
Despite these regrets, we also realize we didn’t always make it easy for our parents to pass along these life lessons. In fact, 45 percent recognized they gave Mom and Dad a ‘rough ride’ in their adolescent years.
Kimmie Greene, consumer finance expert and spokeswoman for Mint.com said: “Parents will always try their best to set us up for success in life and that often includes certain pieces of advice and life lessons, but clearly there are things we still wish had hit home earlier in our lives.
“With a bit of life experience and the benefit of hindsight, we realize we might not have been as receptive as we should have been to some of the more valuable life lessons our parents tried to give us.
“Whether it’s in managing our finances, progressing in our careers, or even navigating the trials and tribulations of love, paying attention to the lessons our parents have shared is always valuable, no matter the age.”
The study of parenting lessons also compiled the most commonly referenced ‘pearls of wisdom’ and found ‘treat others how you wish to be treated’ as the number one life lesson most commonly recited in American households.
The runner up on this list is the classic saying ‘two wrongs don’t make a right,’ followed by the old adage ‘actions speak louder than words.’
And while many of us have been slow to take heed of our parents’ advice at a young age that hasn’t stopped us from passing it down to our own children – 71 percent of people who are now parents say they try to share the same lessons they were taught.
In fact, we don’t just reiterate the advice Mom and Dad gave us, we take it a step further and begin acting a lot like them later in life as 73 percent have done something that oddly resembles their own parents.
Age 37 is the average age our lives when we’re most commonly struck by the harrowing realization that our actions reflect our parents more and more.
Conversations with younger generations most often spark the feeling we’re becoming just like Mom or Dad as we catch ourselves repeating phrases like ‘it wasn’t like that when I was young’ or ‘kids today have it easy.’ Sharing dad’s jokes is also a sure sign that we’re become more like the older generation.
Perhaps that’s why 52 percent of adult Americans admit to becoming more like our parents every day.
Greene continued: "It’s interesting to see that especially in matters of finance, we regret not listening to our parents. As we grow older, we clearly recognize the value in adopting good habits early in life to be able to reap the benefits later on.
"As we all take a look at the year ahead, the good news is that it’s not too late to make a change and take action on these pearls of wisdom.”
TOP 5 THINGS WE WISHED WE LISTENED TO OUR PARENTS’ ADVICE ON MORE
1. Finances
2. Career
3. Love life
4. Health
5. School/education
TOP 25 MOST COMMON ‘PEARLS OF WISDOM’ USED BY AMERICAN PARENTS
1. Treat others how you wish you be treated
2. Two wrongs don't make a right
3. Actions speak louder than words
4. Save some for a rainy day
5. Don't speak with your mouth full
6. Don't judge a book by its cover
7. Practice makes perfect
8. Family comes first
9. Listen before you speak
10. The early bird catches the worm
11. You never know what you've got until it's gone
12. It's what's on the inside that counts
13. Keep an open mind
14. Don't burn bridges
15. As one door closes, another door opens
16. Put your best foot forward
17. Stay honest and keep your integrity
18. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
19. Never be afraid to make mistakes
20. There is a light at the end of every tunnel
21. All that glitters is not gold
22. Try and see the good in everybody
23. Always go with your gut instinct
24. Time heals almost everything
25. Manners cost nothing
***This survey of 2000 US adults was conducted between January 04, 2017 and January 12, 2017 by Market Researchers OnePoll and commissioned by Mint.
END
