It takes a Village to raise a child, or so the saying goes. Almost two in three UK parents (63%) say they have one, yet more than half (53%) still feel lonely at least some of the time, compared with an average of 44% across Europe, according to the new Pampers Baby Report: The Village Barometer.
The report is designed to take a closer look at the Village around babies during their first 1,000 days and how it is shaping for parents in 2026: who families turn to, what help they receive and how well it meets their needs.
Conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Pampers, with further statistical review by UNICEF’s Office of Research Innocenti and insights from Natasha Kirkham, Professor of Developmental Psychology, the research gathered the views of 4,339 parents and 425 paediatricians across nine European countries, including the UK.
The Village Barometer brings together 15 indicators across five areas that help understand the conditions that supports babies and parents to thrive: Connection & Support, Confidence & Clarity, Rest & Recovery, Play & Bonding and Baby-Friendly Futures.
Federica Pompei, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Pampers, said: “The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life are one of the most joyful, emotional and transformative periods for any family, but every beautiful milestone can also bring a thousand new questions. As a mother, I know how much it matters to feel that you are not navigating those moments alone. Through the Pampers Baby Report, we want to better understand the Village surrounding families today and how we can help make it stronger together, for every parent and every baby.”
A Village, but not always a close one
Almost two in three UK parents (63%) say they feel supported overall, yet 53% also report feeling lonely, suggesting that the Village is still there, but support is uneven.
A closer look at the Village in 2026 reveals a gap between the support parents expect and what they experience in reality. Across Europe, parents expect an average of 3.4 different types of support, but experience just 2.8. For parents in the UK their Village is most likely to include immediate or extended family (70%), themselves or their partner (72%), and friends (51%). By comparison, paediatricians believe parents should have an average of 8.3 sources of support around them.
This gap comes at a time when two thirds of UK parents (66%) feel their Village is somewhat or much weaker than it was 20 years ago.
Professor Natasha Kirkham, Birkbeck, University of London, said: “The first 1,000 days are an important foundation for child health and development, but the message should not add pressure to parents. Babies do not need perfect conditions; they need a healthy, nurturing and responsive environment around them.”
When advice brings more questions than answers
The Village is a source of guidance as well as practical help. Parents can turn to healthcare professionals, family and friends, alongside online information and digital support. But having more places to look doesn’t always make the answers easier to navigate.
Almost half of UK parents (47%) feel overwhelmed by the amount of parenting information available, compared with 42% across Europe. Healthcare professionals recognise that pressure: 95% of paediatricians surveyed across Europe agree that too many sources of advice can overwhelm parents.
When the Village goes to bed, the night can feel very long
Across the nine European countries surveyed, disrupted sleep is a widespread reality of early parenthood. More than half of UK parents (54%) say their sleep is interrupted often or every night, compared with 47% across Europe. While more than half of UK parents (59%) often or always feel tired.
This might be the most shared challenge in Europe: parents surveyed across Europe report losing an average of 5.5 hours of sleep a week since having a child*, and disrupted nights can continue well beyond the earliest months. Almost one in four (23%) parents of babies aged one to three say their baby still does not sleep through the night, while fewer than one in ten say their baby began sleeping through before three months.
The impact carries into the day, with 40% of UK parents saying disrupted sleep affects their mood and energy a lot or extremely.
“The most helpful sleep message is not that families should fix baby sleep. It is that fragmented baby sleep is normal, and the Village can still help with recovery, reassurance and practical comfort around it,” said Professor Kirkham.
When play starts to feel like pressure
UK parents overwhelmingly recognise the importance of early play, with 90% saying it is very or extremely important for their baby’s development. And they are making time for it: 56% say they spend more than an hour playing with their baby each weekday.
But that does not always translate into confidence. Fewer than half of UK parents (47%) feel confident supporting their baby’s development through play, compared with 64% across Europe. Over half (55%) have felt guilty about not playing enough or not playing in the right way, versus 40% across Europe.
Pressure around play is widespread. Across the nine European countries surveyed, 70% of parents experience at least one pressure or judgement, while 45% say lack of time is a barrier and 38% cite lack of mental space, tiredness or stress.
At the same time, 93% of paediatricians surveyed across Europe agree that interactive, face-to-face play during the first 1,000 days is essential for healthy development.
“The strongest message on play is that it should reduce pressure, not add to it. Everyday, responsive moments are often the ones babies understand best: someone sees them, answers them and enjoys being with them,” said Professor Kirkham.
A Village under pressure, but a future parents believe in
Every parent thinks beyond today. In the middle of feeds, nappy changes and night waking, there is a bigger question sitting in the background: what kind of world is my baby growing into?
In the UK, 41% of parents agree that society is not designed with babies in mind. That isn’t only about policy. It’s about everyday details: spaces that are easy to use, services that are simple to reach and workplaces that understand family life.
Despite these pressures, 83% of UK parents feel confident about their baby’s future, the highest proportion of the nine countries surveyed.
The report identifies three priorities for strengthening the Village: considering babies’ needs in decisions about public spaces and services, making everyday care easier, and sharing responsibility for the first 1,000 days across families, communities, employers and services.
“The first 1000 days are an important foundation for child health and development. And indeed, babies need a nurturing environment and responsive care to thrive. We should keep in mind that parents and caregivers also need support: they need time, resources and services that enable them to give their children the best start in life,” said Chemba Raghavan, global lead, early childhood development, UNICEF.
