More than half of parents would prefer to change nappies than manage their pension pots

By LUCY EVANS

Updated: 22:00 BST, 20 May 2025

More than half of parents would prefer to change nappies, do the school run or help with homework instead of managing their pension pots.

Some 53 per cent would prefer these parenting duties over getting to grips with their pension pots – a survey of more than 2,000 parents has revealed – while just 11 per cent are checking their retirement savings as a short-term priority, according to data from workplace pension provider Nest.

Some 95 per cent of parents are ‘babyproofing’ their homes when children are small, including locking away hazardous items and covering electric sockets. 

But future security for the family can be achieved in financial ways by funnelling money into your pension and saving for a child’s future.

Parents plan to set aside an average of £157 a month for each child – but almost one in 10 can’t afford any additional savings, Nest says. 

Parents also deem buying healthy food and going on family days out as more relevant short-term priorities compared to saving for retirement.

Priorities: Just 11% of parents are checking their retirement savings as a short-term priority, a survey has revealed

Gavin Perera-Betts, of Nest Pensions, says: ‘For busy parents, juggling family life is a pressure in itself, before we even begin to think about finances.

‘But what we’ve found in our research is that future proofing can take lots of different forms – from protecting your children from hazards around the house, through to making tangible provisions and investments by saving into a pension.’

He recommends a three-step pension check for parents unsure about their future, which involves first thinking about the kind of lifestyle you want in retirement.

Then see if you are on track by checking the balances of your pots and, finally, make changes if you need to put more money aside for later life.

Pension guides

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More than half of parents would prefer to change nappies than manage their pension pots

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