# The last hand-hold happens at 7 and a half

> New research pins down the ages when childhood rituals quietly happen for the final time, and most parents miss the moment.
- Title: The last hand-hold happens at 7 and a half · MadeForMums
- Summary: New research pins down the ages when childhood rituals quietly happen for the final time, and most parents miss the moment. Most of the small rituals parents…
- Keywords: parenting, childhood, research, family, milestones, last, hand-hold, happens, half, MadeForMums
- Source: MadeForMums — https://madeformums.com/news/family-news/average-age-childhood-moments-end
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: parenting, childhood, research, family, milestones
## The lasts sneak up
One day you're carrying your child around like a koala. Then they're too big to lift and you can't name the day it changed.
## What the study asked
Obsurvant surveyed 1,000 UK parents of children aged 8 to 14 for My Nametags, asking them to pin down the moments they remember from growing up.
## Hand-holding ends at 7 and a half
That's the average age of the final hand-hold. The last time a child asks to be carried comes even earlier, at about 5.
## Bedtime stories stop at 7
Seven is also the average age of the last tuck-in and the last bedtime story. It's when many children stop saying 'mummy' or 'daddy' too.
## The magic goes early
Belief in Father Christmas lasts until about 8 on average. The tooth fairy fades sooner, around 7.
## Nobody remembers them
82% of parents said they can't recall all their child's lasts. Three quarters felt sad thinking about the things that no longer happen.

> 73% agreed that 'parenting lasts' are one of the saddest parts of children growing up.
## Wishing for more time
77% want more time with their child, 81% wish they had cherished the early years more, and 83% want to be less distracted when they're together.
## You won't get a warning
There's no signal that a ritual is happening for the final time, so treat the ordinary ones as worth showing up for.

> Sometimes, it's simply the bedtime story you read without realising it will be the last one.
## Key takeaway

Most of the small rituals parents treasure end by about age 7, and you almost never know it was the last time until later.