Millennial parents in the US are benefitting from more quality time with their kids compared with older generations.
Parents across the country are taking in more family activities with their children and spending less time together in front of a TV or other screen.
The survey from Wren Kitchens explored the state of the nation’s family time, specifically how much time and what sort of activities that parents and kids were enjoying together.
Results from the study reveal that despite an increase in technology over the decades, younger parents across America are going out of their way to spend quality, active time together and putting their foot down when it comes to spending time in front of a screen.
Millennial parents making time for kids
Data suggests Millennial parents are seemingly keen to keep the family active and are ahead in activities such as spending time outside with the children, where they average a weekly amount of 289 minutes, compared to 197 minutes from other generations.
Playing games takes up 277 minutes per week with baking on average going on for 265 minutes a week, compared to the previous generation who spent 156 minutes playing games and 142 minutes baking.
Learning is also an important part of the routine for Millennial parents, with reading taking up 291 minutes and homework 275 minutes, whereas the older generation spent 152 minutes and 163 minutes with their children on the same respective activities.
The survey also revealed that Millennials were making sure their children were enjoying more time away from screens, spending just 53 minutes of their day watching TV together as a family, while their older counterparts spent 66 minutes of their time doing this. In addition, Millennial parents are spending 59 minutes a day having conversations without screen time compared with 54 minutes of parents from the older generation.
Despite enjoying more time doing activities together, Millennials do still feel they don’t get enough time together at home with nearly half (49%) wishing they had more, while two-thirds of older parents were happy with their amount of family time.
Families eating together five times a week
Overall, the picture looks good for family life in the US with mealtime still sacred up and down the nation.
When asked how many times per week the family sits around the kitchen table and have a meal together, the results were surprisingly high. This seems to be still an important family moment for American families, and something many families are still making time for.
Results for how often families eat together per week:
| Choice | % |
| 0 | 0.90% |
| 1 | 2.30% |
| 2 | 9.80% |
| 3 | 16.20% |
| 4 | 17.30% |
| 5 | 19.00% |
| 6 | 13.90% |
| 7 | 18.10% |
| N/A – we never do this | 2.50% |
| Average | 4.56% |
60% of families don’t allow mobile phones during meals
Despite the rise in technology usage across the world, more than half of respondents said mobile phones are not allowed on the dinner table during the evening meal.
Results are below:
| Choice | % |
| Yes | 41.40% |
| No | 57.40% |
| N/A – don’t have mobile phones | 1.20% |
Sources:1. https://morningconsult.com/opinions/screen-time-and-family-time-healthy-ways-to-make-it-all-work/
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