With Double Income No Kids (DINK) couples on the rise, parenting seems to have taken a backseat. But those who have already taken the plunge anticipate hard times ahead. In a recent survey conducted by Health Aid Medicare, a city-based NGO, 45 per cent of parents admitted that rearing children is getting stressful by the day.

Over 500 couples, from the upper and upper-middle class, were surveyed across the tricity to establish the various problems encountered in child rearing. Dr Anju Gupta, a member of the NGO, said: “With parents under pressure to bring up the perfect child, some disturbing trends have come to light which need to be redressed. Parents feel that rising competitiveness, expensive education and behavioural problems have made nurturing a child a complex issue.”

While 42 per cent of parents complained about the “demanding nature” of their children, a whopping 89 per cent stated that refusal to comply with the children’s demands resulted in temper tantrums. At times, the children even tend to hurt themselves and hit parents.

Further, sibling rivalry is a cause of concern for 40 per cent of the parents. Around 16 per cent parents were upset about their children showing disrespect towards them.

In another disturbing revelation, 37 per cent parents admitted of involving their kids in family conflicts at a tender age. The survey also stated that the advent of computer and television has led to a decline in physical activity among children. While 24 per cent of parents said their children rarely participated in any physical activity, 31.5 per cent said that they played occasionally.