Researchers from the universities of Keele and Cardiff interviewed 117 children between the ages of eight and 11. They found that children were consulted on issues as diverse as meals, discipline and moving house.
Children were happy to accept the ultimate authority of their parents - as long parents acted 'fairly'.
Ian Butler, professor of social work at Keele and author of the report, said, 'In public life we tend to infantilise children, but at home even very young children can influence big decisions.
'Family decision-making pro-cesses are very subtle. This has implications for children who are taken into care or have a new step-family because communication can break down and they struggle to fit in.'
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