Experienced parents have shared their wisdom on what quality family time really means. Forget arts and crafts or play dates, for parents with a child(ren) under the age of five, quality time with their young one is simply cuddling (93%).
Baby and toddler friendly holiday company, Tots To Travel asked 519 parents and expectant parents what they counted as quality time spent with their child(ren) during the week. The research found that expectant parents think they will spend more quality time doing worthy and educational tasks such as learning number and/or words (80%), whereas those with babies cherish the physical contact they share with their young ones.
While parents planning for their first baby have an idealistic list of things that they think they will be doing with their newborns, experienced parents suggest that they value the contact time they spend with their young ones as during the rest of the week they are doing activities such as watching TV together (66%) and reading stories before bed (64%).
The data also suggests that parents with only the one child spend more one-on-one contact time with their child than those with several children. Activities such as cuddling and bath time ‘fun’ where listed as top quality time for parents with just the one child, whereas those with more than one child rated these lower as quality time spent together.
Reassuringly, parents that work full time, part time and those that don’t work, all put in a similar amount of time spending quality one-on-one playtime with their young ones (68%, 60% and 66% respectively). While it is those that work part time that are more likely to count the quality time they spend with their baby or toddler as simple downtime watching TV together (72%).
Wendy Shand, Founding Director at Tots To Travel commented: “What this research is telling us is that expectant parents prepare themselves to do what they see as doing the right thing by focusing on educational activities, however experienced parents are showing us what is real. Life is busy, especially with one or more children to care for, so day to day tasks such as watching TV together becomes ‘quality’ time spent together. However, what shows from all parents is that it is that special bond and physical contact that is most important in any family.
“Tots To Travel craft family holidays by parents for parents that the whole family can enjoy. We understand that parents of young families often need holidays to get that quality family time together and to reconnect. We aim to create stress-free, thought-through and fun holidays to let families be families.”
Parents experienced, new and expecting can share their ‘quality time tips’ on the Tots To Travel Twitter page using #TOTsTime
About Tots To Travel:
Tots To Travel’s unique approach provides stress free, luxury villa and resort holidays for families with babies and toddlers. This award-winning concept, founded by mother of three Wendy Shand, launched after her two-year-old son, Barnaby, fell into an unenclosed swimming pool whilst on holiday. Luckily he was safely fished back out but it started to shape a vision that has taken baby and toddler holidays to a new level giving parents total peace of mind.
Tots To Travel’s mission is to select the very best and most suitable baby and toddler friendly and resort accommodation, then craft an experience that is exclusively available for Tots To Travel families.
This experience includes barrier pools, an Essential Kit Guarantee and outstanding levels of customer service, giving families the very best chance of a blissful family holiday. In doing so, Wendy has created a very successful brand that resonates with families.
