Moms Straight Talk on Parenting: New Goldfish® Brand Survey Reveals the Pressures – and Joys – of Being a Mom Today

NORWALK, Conn.-(Business Wire)-September 28, 2009 - Keeping up with the demands of parenting in today’s fast-changing, economically-pressured world, while still taking time to relish the “great little moments” with their children, is a steep challenge for today’s moms, according to a new survey sponsored by the Pepperidge Farm^® Goldfish^® brand – but most wouldn’t trade parenting for anything. The Goldfish Moms Straight Talk on Parenting survey was conducted in late May by the market research firm, TNS, with 1,021 moms of kids 6-to-12 across the United States.

The good news: An overwhelming majority of moms surveyed (94 percent) said that being a mom is “the best job I have,” and a similarly large majority reported that they are doing the best they can as a mother. However, despite doing their best, a large percentage of moms expressed concerns that their best may not be good enough with two out of three moms indicating that they “worry whether I’m doing a good enough job as a mother.” Moms are clear that being a mom isn’t easy. Eighty-five percent claimed that it is the hardest job they have.

A majority of moms (60 percent) maintain that raising kids is harder today compared to when they were growing up. The highest rated sources of worry for those moms were:

Kids growing up too fast
Too much social/peer pressure
Concerns for children’s safety
Too much exposure to disturbing world events, and
Popular culture not being in line with their family values

Not surprisingly, financial pressures are another source of concern for parents today. Some 88 percent of moms surveyed said their families are being impacted by current economic conditions. Although a notable 61 percent of respondents are currently employed either full- or part-time, almost three quarters said they worry about being able to financially provide their child’s everyday wants and needs. A whopping 80 percent are concerned about paying for their child’s college education – and less than a third feel they are prepared to deal with this issue.

Clearly parents today have a lot on their plates. In fact, half of the mothers polled reported that they “often feel overwhelmed by daily demands of being a parent” and nearly 60 percent confessed that they sometimes feel as though they are reaching their breaking point when it comes to dealing with their kids.

The challenges facing parents appear to leave many moms questioning whether they will be able to deliver on their own lofty – in some cases, too lofty – goals as a parent. In fact, one out of three moms admitted to setting expectations for themselves as a parent that are “unrealistic.” And three quarters worry whether they can “provide the skills their kids need to reach their potential.” In fact, one survey respondent said her number one concern was “making sure that when my children become adults - and hopefully parents themselves - that I have given them the tools to be successful, happy and comfortable with who they are.”

The Goldfish Fishful Thinking^SM Program Gives Moms Tips and Techniques for Success

As a brand trusted by moms for more than 40 years, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish knows how hard parenting can be and understands the pressures that go along with it. That’s why, since 2004, the brand has partnered with positive psychology expert and mother of four, Dr. Karen Reivich, to provide moms with valuable information and resources to support their tireless efforts to raise kids who are confident, resourceful and have a positive attitude. The program, Fishful Thinking^SM, is a resource for parenting positive kids.

In association with Dr. Reivich, the Goldfish brand has continued to expand and enhance its Fishful Thinking resources to promote five key skills: Optimism, Emotional Awareness, Goal Setting/Hope, Resilience and Empowerment. Whether it’s talking to kids about how to deal with the everyday ups and downs of life, or teaching effective problem-solving techniques, Fishful Thinking helps empower parents to develop positive communication with their children and practice skills using fun, easy activities via a dynamic online website, www.FishfulThinking.com.

“Clearly, it’s not easy being a parent today,” said Patsy Fox, Goldfish brand Group Marketing Manager at Pepperidge Farm and mother of two. “Our research shows that moms welcome useful information to help boost their confidence about meeting the many daily demands of parenting. The Pepperidge Farm Goldfish brand is committed to providing parents with just that kind of help through our Fishful Thinking program. It’s an idea-filled resource that includes articles, activities, quizzes, videos and sharing opportunities to help moms enrich the little moments of parenting every day.”

In fact, moms in the survey spoke a lot about the importance of those little moments with their children. When asked about their greatest joys of parenting, many responded with comments like: “having fun with my kids,” “seeing my children smile,” “watching them achieve at even the small things” and “a hug out of the blue.”

“The survey’s interesting results give us another layer of insight about how moms view their challenges today, and their struggle to meet those challenges,” said Dr. Reivich. “The Fishful Thinking resources we’ve developed can help parents be more confident in their parenting, and thus be more effective in empowering their children to be optimistic and resilient in realizing their own potential for success.”

The Pepperidge Farm Goldfish brand’s coalition of resources in support of parents is continuing to grow. In May, The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) entered into a partnership with Fishful Thinking. Together, they will help provide parents with an exceptional resource for parents to help promote optimism, drive resilience and empower children to be the successes they were born to be.

“All parents want their children to be able to handle life's challenges. We see this in schools every day,” commented Patti L. Harrison, NASP President. “The good news is that children are tremendously resilient and often simply need encouragement, a few skills and the expectation that they will succeed. The Fishful Thinking program provides parents with fun, easy activities that can help them teach their children to problem solve and deal with life’s ups and downs.”

In coming months, school psychologists around the country will be sharing Fishful Thinking strategies with parents and reinforcing the reciprocal link between optimism and resilience and school success.

The Pepperidge Farm Goldfish survey was conducted by TNS. 1,021 moms were interviewed. In analyzing the results, statistical weights were applied to be reflective of the population of moms with children 6 to 12 years of age in the continental United States. The study was conducted online and the sample was selected from the TNS 6thdimension^TM Managed Online Access Panel. Interviews were collected between May 28th and June 2, 2009. The analyses utilized statistical tests of significance, at the 90% confidence level, to identify significant differences among 4 census regions.

For additional information on the Goldfish brand’s Fishful Thinking program, please visit www.FishfulThinking.com. To become a fan on facebook, log on to www.facebook.com/FishfulThinking. In addition, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PepperidgeFarm.

About Pepperidge Farm

Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, is a leading provider of premium quality fresh bakery products, cookies, crackers, and frozen foods. The company was named the number one place to work in Connecticut in the large companies category of the Best Places to Work in Connecticut competition for 2009. Among the company’s most popular products are Chocolate Chunk and Milano^® cookies, Goldfish^® crackers, and more than 50 varieties of fresh baked breads including Swirl, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse^™, 100% Natural and Whole Grain. The company recently added Ecce Panis^® gourmet artisan breads to its portfolio.

Pepperidge Farm was founded in Connecticut in 1937 by Margaret Rudkin, an entrepreneurial homemaker who began baking fresh, all-natural bread for her allergy-afflicted son. The company is now a nationwide business with 9 manufacturing facilities, almost 5,000 employees, 3,500 independent distributorships operating 4,000 trucks, and over $1.45 billion in sales. Pepperidge Farm has been part of the Campbell Soup Company since 1961.

About Fishful Thinking

Fishful Thinking is a resource for positive parenting developed by Pepperidge Farm Goldfish brand as part of its 40-year commitment to helping parents promote healthy lifestyles for their kids. Created in partnership with Positive Psychology leader and mother of four, Dr. Karen Reivich, Fishful Thinking provides a wealth of information, tips, and skill building activities parents can use to help children develop a positive attitude and the confidence they need to tackle life’s challenges.

About Dr. Karen Reivich

Dr. Karen Reivich is the co-director of the Penn Resiliency Project and a research associate in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Reivich is also an instructor in the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program in which she teaches a course on Positive Psychology and Individuals.

She is a leader in the field of depression prevention, resilience, positive psychology interventions and school-based intervention research. Together with Drs. Seligman and Jaycox, and Gillham, Reivich is a co-author of the book "The Optimistic Child" and co-authored "The Resilience Factor" with Dr. Andrew Shatte´. In addition, Dr. Reivich has a coaching practice and provides consultation to organizations around the themes of resilience, optimism, and strength development.

Dr. Reivich completed her B.A. and her Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Reivich's current work focuses on helping parents and educators to promote well-being in children and adolescents. She is one of the lead authors of the Penn Resiliency Program for Adolescents and a parallel program for parents.

Dr. Reivich has also been featured in numerous consumer publications including The New York Times, USA Today, Parents Magazine and US News and World Report and has been a guest on several television programs including Oprah and Prime Time Live.

Dr. Reivich puts her work to practice everyday as the mother of four children: Jacob and Aaron (age 12), Jonathan (age 10) and Shayna (age 5).

About NASP

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) represents nearly 26,000 school psychologists throughout the United States and abroad. NASP members promote children’s healthy development and learning through programs and services that prevent social, academic, and emotional problems. School psychologists have specialized training in education and psychology. They work with parents and educators to help shape individualized strategies that promote student success; safe, create healthy classroom and school environments; provide school-wide resources and services; and facilitate home-school-community collaboration. For information and free resources for parents and educators, call 301-657-0270, or visit www.nasponline.org

About TNS

TNS, which recently merged with Research International, is the world’s largest custom research agency delivering actionable insights and research-based business advice to its clients so they can make more effective business decisions. TNS offers comprehensive industry knowledge within the Consumer, Technology, Finance, Automotive and Political & Social sectors, supported by a unique product offering that stretches across the entire range of marketing and business issues, specializing in product development & innovation, brand & communication, stakeholder management, retail & shopper, and qualitative research. Delivering best-in-class service across more than 70 countries, TNS is part of Kantar, the world’s largest research, insight and consultancy network. Please visit http://www.tns-us.com for more information.

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