Parents urged to take care of themselves for child's wellbeing

Taking time to look after yourself is an important part of good parenting, experts advise. Sue Ormesher from national charity Parentline Plus highlighted that being a good parent means making sure you are happy and well, so you can give your baby everything it needs, both physically and emotionally. "The vast majority of parents want what is best for their children, but as parents we often spend all our time looking after everyone else in the family and forget about ourselves," she explained.

"If you want to give your children what they need, you have to look after yourselves too. You can't do the best for your children if you're running on empty."

A new report from the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning at the Institute of Education found that "authoritative" parents tend to raise more "competent" and "better-adjusted" children.

The study suggested that parents who are sensitive to their child's needs are more likely to have children with good interpersonal skills.