Survey reveals most annoying parental habits

Putting baby photos up on Facebook has been named one of the most disliked parental habits. File photo / thinkstock

Parents be warned - cutesy voices, bombarding Facebook with baby updates and putting babies on the phone are the three most disliked parents' habits.

A British survey by voucher.co.uk has revealed the parent traits people find most irritating.

Hearing friends use their cutesy voices to speak to children was considered the worst offence, with wearing clothes that match your child's, not disciplining naughty tots in public and going on about how "perfect" your child is, also made the list, Dailymail.co.uk reported.

Celebrity parents aren't immune to the unwanted behaviour.

Kim Dotcom regularly updates Instagram with information about his five children, and overseas Kourtney Kardashian has been guilty of matching her clothes with those of her children Mason and Penelope Disick, and Peaches Geldof tweets about her son Astala.

New mum Catherine Sutton wasn't offended by the criticisms, and felt the same way about parents before she had daughter Arielle Sutton 15 weeks ago.

Then everything changed.

"I think you just understand more, when you're a parent, of why these things are done.

"It just comes naturally. You do find yourself doing the baby babble because you get the response from them - they really enjoy it," she said.

The Auckland mother also uses Facebook to update family and friends on Arielle's progress, but does so though a private folder rather than on her wall for everyone to see.

The behaviours included in the survey have always been done by parents, but they are simply being done through new mediums, said registered child psychotherapist Denise Carlyon.

"Swearing, using cutesy voices, regular updates about their children's progress, dressing them in matching outfits ... Social media makes these things more in-your-face and more immediate. In the past, people did these same things, but you talked about things on the phone or wrote a letter.""

It wasn't helpful for people to complain about some of these more trivial aspects, as parents generally wanted to do their best, said Mrs Carlyon.

Having children was a "life changing"experience, and parents faced increasing pressure from individuals and groups telling them how to raise their offspring.

"It can be an absolute nightmare for a parent. People need to be real about raising children - it's hard work and people don't get it right all the time," she said.

Chairman of My Voucher Code, Mark Pearson, told the Daily Mail it can be difficult to admit to friends what you find annoying about their parenting habits, "even more so if you don't have children yourself as they could return the criticism by blaming you for not understanding what being a parent feels like".

"I guess all you can do is try to see the funny side of these things. And I'm sure even if most of us will agree to find at least one of these things annoying, we'll all end up doing the same once we have children."

Most annoying parenting habits

1. Using a 'cutesy' voice

2. Baby-related status updates on Facebook

3. Putting babies on the phone

4. Not disciplining children when unruly in public

5. Swearing in front of children

6. Blaming their kids for not going out anymore

7. Parents who constantly say how perfect' their child is

8. Criticising other parents' kids

9. Matching outfit between father/son - daughter/mum

- source: www.dailymail.co.uk