-->Nov. 1, 2002 -- Raising a child in an age when we're bombarded
Nov. 1, 2002 -- Raising a child in an age when we're bombarded by media messages from all directions isn't making the job any easier for most parents. A new survey shows parents worry more about protecting their child from negative social influences than paying the bills.
Researchers found parents think their job has become more complicated because they have to constantly protect their children from harmful or negative messages from TV and other sources. In fact, 90% of those surveyed say they think TV gets worse each year in terms of bad language and adult themes.
The survey, A Lot Easier Said Than Done, was conducted by the public opinion research organization Public Agenda for State Farm Insurance Companies. The survey questioned more than 1,600 parents of children aged 5 to 17 between July 31 and Aug. 15, 2002.
Nearly three-quarters of the parents said they were shocked by something they saw on TV in the past year, but only 13% complained about it to the station or network. And less than a quarter said they've considered removing the TV from their household.
The survey also found that parents aren't easy on themselves. Although 82% believe it's absolutely essential to teach their child to do their very best in school, only 50% said they've succeeded at passing along those beliefs to their kids.
Nearly half of the parents said they worry more about raising a well-behaved child that has good values than they do about providing for their physical needs. About a quarter said they worry about both equally.
Even in these tough economic times, twice as many parents said they worry more about protecting their kids from negative social influences than about paying the bills or finding enough time to spend together as a family. Low-income parents echoed the same concerns, but were slightly more worried about finances in general.
The study also identified four distinct parenting styles among the parents, based on their responses to the survey:
- The Overwhelmed (17%) --These parents tend to think their children have picked up some of their own bad habits and say that life is so stressful that being a parent can be overwhelming. This group is also more likely to say their kids talk back and use foul language, wear clothes that are sloppy or too revealing, and are growing up too fast.
- The Softies (17%) --These parents say they are sometimes too tired to be firm with their children and give in too quickly or let too many things go. They are more likely to say their kids are overindulged, spend too much money shopping, or are rude and talk back.
- Parents-in-Chief (18%) -- These parents expect their children to listen and not question them, and say they can sometimes be too over-protective. They're likely to say their kids never talk back, use bad language, or spend too much money shopping.
- Best Buddies (8%) -- These parents say they are trying hard to be a different type of parent than their own parents were. They sometimes feel they do too much explaining and feel more like their child's best friend than their parent. This group is also more likely to say they're doing a better job than their parents did.
"Parents today are struggling very hard to raise respectful, responsible, well-behaved children and are remarkably frank in the survey in assessing their own kids' shortcomings," says Deborah Wadsworth, president of Public Agenda, in a news release.
