British parents spend fewer than 30 minutes of quality time a day with their children, poll claims

Parents of teenagers find it hardest to connect, survey finds

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British parents spend fewer than half an hour a day of quality time with their children, according to a new survey.

Fathers and their daughters get less face-to-face time together than any other parent-child combination, the poll of 2,000 parents found.

Half of the fathers who responded thought they got enough quality time with their daughters, compared to 55 per cent of mothers.

It also emerged surveyed parents of teenagers found it the hardest to connect, as 13 per cent thought 13-17 was the age to spend the best quality time together – compared to 43 per cent who thought the ages six to 12 were the most promising.

Hobbies such as cooking, ballet and collecting football trading cards were among the interests the parents polled tried to share with their children.

“Connecting with your child or children is difficult when we all lead such busy lives," said Chris Clover, head of marketing for Panini Andrenalyn XL, which commissioned the survey. “Through our research we want to highlight that by taking time out to share common interests, parents and children can enjoy quality connections and share great moments together.”

Of the respondents, 42 per cent said their child would rather watch TV than spend quality time with them, while 39 per cent claimed their child would choose video games over time together.

Two thirds of those asked wanted to limit their child’s screen time.

Four in 10 said they did not get to spend as much time with their children as they would like because they work long hours.

SWNS