Parents worry whether they are doing a good job and about what kind of world their children will grow up in

Mary MacLeod, National Family and Parenting Institute

And they feel they are not getting enough support in those troublesome years, according to work done for the National Family and Parenting Institute.

Asked the open-ended question - What are your two or three main concerns as a parent about family life today? - 21% cited drugs and alcohol first.

Children's behaviour came a very close second and the risk of children being attacked or molested worried 18%.

For 14%, making ends meet was the biggest headache.

Meal times

Pollsters Mori interviewed 1,391 parents across Britain in their homes in July for the institute - an independent charity set up with Home office funding "to make the case for families".

It is a worrying time for parents

Almost a third of the parents interviewed said the years between 11 and 14 were the most difficult stages in their children's development, and 27% said 15 to 18.

As to what makes a successful family, more than a third stressed sharing time, such as by eating meals together.

The work followed up a recent report by the institute, which suggested there was a lack of local support services for parents with teenage children in England and Wales.

It found there were three times as many facilities for families with children under five years old as for those with children aged 11 to 15.

Call for more support

As a result, it is calling for more government money to be directed to charities and local councils to support parents of teenagers.

The institute's chief executive, Mary MacLeod, said: "Parents worry.

"They worry whether they are doing a good job and also about what kind of world their children will grow up in."

She said the teenage years seemed to bring to a head many concerns.

"Issues about drugs, alcohol, safety and education all collide at this time when children are struggling to find their own identities and independence."

Pressures

She said parents often were not consulted about things affecting what they do as parents, and their role needed to be valued.

"We want to ensure that their worries and concerns are listened to," she said.

"There are lots of pressures on family life today. If we can understand them better we can provide support where it is needed."