The average family manages just 36 minutes of quality time together a day, new research has revealed. A study found that hectic work schedules and the sheer volume of domestic chores leave little time for family fun.
Researchers also found that a typical family will find time for just 15 days out together every year.
It also emerged nearly half of the 2,000 adults polled feel the balance of work and play is skewed in favour of their job.
Christmas Day, the occasional Sunday together and days spent in the garden during the summer were hailed as times when families get to spend quality time together.
Visiting the grandparents and reading to the children at night also gave everyone a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Gemma Arranz, a spokesperson for IKEA which commissioned the study, said:
“Family life gets more hectic as time goes on, so it’s not surprising that Christmas Day is when we spend the most time together in one go.
“Modern family life is hectic for many parents. Daily chores and housework are an essential part of family life but can also make home life feel very routine.
“We want to help parents to make the most of this time and see it as an opportunity for interaction and engagement with their kids, not something that gets in the way.”
The study found working long or anti-social hours was the most common stumbling block, while evenings and weekends dominated by household chores and frantic routines were common.
That leads to just over half an hour a day that families get to be with one another without regular distraction.
But even then it’s not easy – eight in ten parents admit they often battle with the TV or videogames to get the kids’ attention.
Despite the majority of families having good intentions to organize things for the family to do as a whole at weekends, plans fall through a quarter of the time due to things getting in the way, results showed.
No surprise then that 55% of families say they suffer from a hectic domestic life.
And modern life does seem to take its toll – more than 70% admitted there are regular instances when the whole family sits in front of the television in silence because they’re too tired for conversation.
Nearly three quarters of mums and dads felt their children were growing up too fast, yet six in ten said their weekly routine doesn’t leave them enough time to enjoy their kids at the age they are.
In fact, nearly a third have missed key moments in their child’s development because of their hectic routine keeping them away.
TOP 10 OCCASIONS WHERE FAMILIES SQUEEZE IN QUALITY TIME
1. Christmas Day
2. On holiday
3. Lazy Sundays
4. Going out for a meal
5. Watching a film together
6. The Sunday Roast
7. Playing in the garden in summer
8. Visiting the grandparents
9. Reading with children at night
10. Playing board games