New research from 23andMe reveals Brits’ lack of knowledge when it comes to their next of kin
London, March 2019 – With Mother’s Day just around the corner, there’s no doubt many of us will be thinking about our mums and how we might celebrate with them. But how much do we really know about our loving creators? According to 23andMe, we’re lacking in some of the most basic knowledge about our mums, with one in 10 Brits not even knowing when her birthday is.
Nowadays, life is so fast-paced and so it comes as no surprise that we might all be guilty of getting a little caught up in the ‘here and now’. New research from the consumer genetics company demonstrates that there are many things we don’t know about our mothers, particularly about their lives before we were brought into the world. For example, 14 per cent of Brits can’t name the town their mum was born in, while over a third (36 per cent) admit to not knowing what their mum’s first job was.
And it’s not just facts from her past we’re lacking trivia on. The research found that two fifths of Brits (40 per cent) can’t name their mum’s current best friends, with 72 per cent being unable to recall her favourite film, and almost a third (30 per cent) unsure of whether their mum is a morning person or night owl. Shame on us…
Perhaps unsurprisingly, data from the survey also revealed that our knowledge about the rest of our immediate family has its limitations as well. Over a third of Brits (35 per cent) are unsure of how their parents met, with 36 per cent not knowing when their parents’ wedding anniversary is.
Despite this, it appears the gap in our family knowledge tree has not gone unnoticed. Over half of Brits (59 per cent) say they’re keen to learn more about their family, with over a quarter (27 per cent) saying they feel guilty about their lack of knowledge about their mums specifically. In addition to this, 55 per cent of Brits say they’d like to learn more about her.
Jhulianna Cintron, genetics trends expert at 23andMe, said: “Our research shows that there’s a definite gap in terms of how much people know about their mothers, as well as their extended family. In this day and age, we’re busier than ever before, and Mother’s Day presents the perfect opportunity for families to re-connect on a deeper level.
Visit 23andme.co.uk to find out more about your health and ancestry, based on your genetics. 23andMe also offers an optional Share and Compare feature, which customers can use to find out which genes and traits they share with other family members, including finding out if mum is likely to be a deep sleeper, whether she’s afraid of heights, or whether she’s able to match a musical pitch. The full list of reports available on 23andMe can be viewed here, and the 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service is discounted for £124 until Monday, 1st April 2019 at 11:59 pm GMT.