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Chapter 10

National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development, children spend more
time in daycare and school, accompany
parents on more errands, assist with more
household tasks, and devote less time to free
play than children did in the early 1980s.
Children whose mothers work outside the
home tend to spend the most time in
daycare and school, and have the least free
time for play (Hofferth & Sandberg, 2001).
The family time crunch means children
spend 10% less time eating and have 8%
less free time for play than in the past (see
Figure 10.2). Children in dual-income
families and single-parent homes also
experience less sleep than children who live
in a home with a stay-at-home parent.
Children who spend more mealtimes with
family and who get enough sleep, exhibit
fewer behavior problems than children who
don’t. The time demands on children are

exacerbated by a 50% increase in

homework time, and a 44% increase in time

spent in organized sports (Hofferth &

Sandberg, 2001).

Hofferth and Sandberg found children

in 1997 spent an average of 1.3 hours per

week reading, up 19 minutes from 1981.

Children who read more achieve higher

Much family time today is filled with structured

child activities and household chores.

Figure 10.2

Children’s Weekly Time Expenditures

Source:Hofferth and Sandberg 2001; Bianchi, Robinson and Milkie 2006.

School

1981

21hr 22min

1997

29hr 22min

Change

8hr

2002

31hr 12min

Change

1hr 50min

Play 15hr 54min 12hr 58min 2hr 56min 8hr 12min 4hr 46min

TV 15hr 12min 13hr 9min 2hr 3min 14hr 30min 1hr 21min

Reading 57min 1hr 16min 19min 1hour 30min 14min

Meals 9hr 8min 8hr 18min 50min 7hr 6min 1hr 12min

Sports 2hr 20min 5hr 17min 2hr 57min 3hr 6min 2hr 11min

Homework 1hr 25min 2hr 7min 42min 4hr 6min 1hr 59min

Chores 2hr 27min 5hr 39min 3hr 12min 6hr 2hr 48min

Image from BigstockPhoto.com / mandygodbehear