Forget 2.4 Kids: The average UK family now has 1.7 Children, 1.4 Parents and 1/2 a Dog | Toddle About Skip to main content
Powered By Book That In
More Parenting Articles

Forget 2.4 Kids: The average UK family now has 1.7 Children, 1.4 Parents and 1/2 a Dog

Mr. Men Little Miss No two families are the same, which is why Family Portraits with a host of familiar characters and pets has been created. Mr. Men Research identifies the face of the average modern family in the UK, which also includes 1.4 grandparents, 1 friend and 2.6 cousins. As Mr. Men Little Miss launch its new Family Portraits service with 231m different family combinations available, new research examining the make-up of modern families reveals how our immediate families have changed from the traditional, with Brits counting at least one of their friends as a member of the family. 

  • Friends really are the family we choose, with nearly two thirds of us (59%) relying on friends for help and advice as much as we do our families.
  • There’s also a great deal of importance placed on our furry friends – 74% of Brits considers pets to be part of the family, while 1.5m Brits consider pets to be more important that members of their immediate family!
  • Despite nearly half of us (41%) taking at least one family photo every month, under 1 in 3 (31%) of us own a framed family portrait.
  • Mothers-in-law are more popular than the stereotype suggests, with 90% of us considering them part of our immediate family and more than half of us feeling close to them.
  • Women (74%) are more likely to take a family portrait than men (64%).
  • With the help of handy camera phones, some 2.6m Brits now take a family portrait every day.

Commenting on the results, Alastair McHarrie of Mr Men Ltd. adds: “We know no two families are the same, and this research proves just that, which is why we created our Family Portraits with a host of familiar characters and some brand new pets. Alongside some classic Happyland backround this means there are over 231m possible combinations, meaning your portrait will be as unique as your family is!” Printed on high quality canvas, Mr. Men Little Miss Family Portraits make the perfect personalised present for any family or a group of friends. They make great presents for new babies, gifts for grandparents, teachers or even for work colleagues, capturing any group of people in Mr. Men Little Miss’ inimitable style. The research showed that while 20% of us would include our pets in a family portrait, only 65% of Brits would include their children in a family portrait! The research shows that the average family in the UK is made up of the following:

  • 0.77 Mothers
  • 0.67 Fathers
  • 1.74 Children
  • 1.26 Sisters
  • 1.2 Brothers
  • 0.7 Grandmothers
  • 0.7 Grandfathers
  • 2.6 Cousins
  • 1.6 Uncles
  • 1.7 Aunts
  • 0.2 Step-mothers
  • 0.2 Step-fathers
  • 0.4 Step-sisters
  • 0.38 Step-brothers
  • 0.5 Half-sisters
  • 0.5 Half-brothers
  • 0.4 Mothers-in-law
  • 0.35 Fathers-in-law
  • 1 Friend
  • 0.5 Dogs
  • 0.5 Cats
  • 0.3 Other Pets

[caption id="attachment_2069" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Mr. Men Little Miss Family Portrait With over 231m possible combinations on offer, your portrait can be as unique as your family[/caption] Fans of the iconic characters Mr. Men Little Miss can now create your own family portrait using a range of classic characters and pets. Printed on high quality 280g satin paper, the portraits make the perfect personalised present suitable for any occasion for any family or group of friends. Mr. Men Little Miss know that no family is the same, so each portrait can be personalised with any seven characters or pets using a variety of fun backgrounds from the series' Happyland setting and the opportunities for personalisation are endless with 50 characters to choose from and with over 231m possible combinations on offer, your portrait will be as unique as your family. Exclusive to www.mrmen.com, the Mr. Men Little Miss Family Portraits are available unframed (£20) or in a high quality frame (£50).


Follow the characters on social media for the latest news and competitions: Twitter: @MrMenOfficial Instagram: @MrMenOfficial Facebook: www.facebook.com/mrmenlittlemiss *Data is taken from a survey of 2,008 British adults by Censuswide, for further statistics please contact tom@adurocommunications.co.uk