Half of parents turn to their own mothers for advice, US survey finds

Half of American parents of young children say their own mother is the person they turn to for parenting advice, according to ZERO TO THREE's 2026 national parenting survey, whose findings were reported on 29 October 2026. The survey, called First Voice and carried out for the early-childhood non-profit by the Loran Group, asked about 2,200 parents of children aged five and under where they look for guidance, whom they trust and what support they want. It found that 55% of parents feel there is so much parenting information that it is hard to know whom to trust, and that close to one in five now uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools for parenting advice.

The survey describes a generation of parents who still lean on family, especially their own mothers, but who no longer treat family tradition as the main rulebook. The share of parents who said they model their parenting on the way they were raised has fallen from about seven in ten in 2015 to about one in three in 2026, according to ZERO TO THREE's comparison of its own surveys. At the same time, the grandmother remains the single most trusted adviser. In other words, parents appear to keep the relationship while changing the method: they ask their mothers, then check that advice against doctors, partners, child care staff and the internet.

That mix is what the survey calls an information problem. More than half of parents said there is so much advice available that it is hard to know whom to trust. Parents use an average of five sources, so conflicting tips on sleep, feeding, screen time or discipline can reach the same family in the same week. ZERO TO THREE is a United States non-profit focused on the first years of a child's life.

Close to one in five parents said they typically use AI chat tools for parenting questions, and three in four of those users found the answers helpful. The same survey shows that parents want limits around the technology: 63% said they want more safety measures and regulation for social media and AI. Parents in the survey also said they would like public support such as paid parental leave and universal pre-kindergarten, according to coverage of the findings.

The survey is a data point from the United States rather than India, and its numbers should not be read as Indian figures. What it does show is the role of mothers across two generations: the parent asking for help is often a mother, and the person answering is often her own mother.

Short-term: Parenting organisations, paediatric clinics and child care providers are likely to look at how they can become a clearer, more trusted voice among the many sources parents use. The AI figures give health bodies a reason to think about what accurate guidance parents may be getting, or missing, from chat tools.

Long-term: If fewer parents model their parenting on how they were raised, grandparents' role may shift from setting the rules to offering support and experience. Policy debates in the United States on paid leave, early education and the regulation of social media and AI now have a fresh measure of what parents of young children say they want.

Who is affected: Parents of children aged five and under, grandparents who help raise them, paediatricians and child care workers, and technology companies whose AI tools parents now consult.

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