Parent Supervision

1 in 5 parents say their child age 6-12 years has no friends or not enough friends. 3 in 4 parents have taken steps to help their child make new friends. 2 in 3 parents say it is important that their child’s friends come from families similar to theirs.

2 in 3 parents say their child uses headphones or earbuds. Among parents whose child uses headphones or earbuds, 1 in 6 say a typical day for their child includes at least 2 hours using an audio device. Only half of parents have tried to limit their child’s usage of audio devices.

Over half of parents do not know their state’s legal age for online betting. 1 in 4 parents have talked with their teen about online gambling. 1 in 6 parents think they would probably not know if their teen was betting online.

3 in 4 parents say they make it a point to have their child do things themselves. Worry is the top reason parents give for their child not doing things independently. 1 in 4 parents have criticized another parent for not adequately supervising their child.

Half of parents say their child walks through the car drop-off or pick-up area when going to or from school. Over one-third of parents say drivers not paying attention or speeding are major problems around their child’s school. 1 in 3 parents say schools should suspend or ban parents who do not follow traffic rules from entering the school parking area.

2 in 3 parents say their child always follows the rules when using sparklers. 1 in 5 parents would allow their child age 10 or younger to help set off fireworks. Only 1 in 5 parents said children sat at least 100 feet away from where aerial fireworks were being set off.

Among parents whose child goes sledding, 1 in 6 have not talked with their child about safety rules. Only 1 in 3 parents report their child wears a helmet when sledding. Over half of parents say their child aged 10-18 years does not have adult supervision when sledding, downhill skiing or snowboarding.

Parents say half of children 10-12 years and one-third of children 7-9 years use social media apps. 1 in 6 parents are not using any parental controls for their child’s social media apps. 1 in 3 parents say their child has been taught in school about safe use of social media apps.

Parents' top concerns about playdates include children being unsupervised, hearing inappropriate language, getting into harmful substances, and getting injured. Half of parents have declined a playdate because they did not feel comfortable leaving their child in the other parent's care. Only 1 in 4 parents have been asked about safety issues by another parent before a playdate.

1 in 4 parents who drink alcohol on special occasions are not likely to plan how much they drink or whether they’ll be able to take care of their child the next day. 3 in 10 parents know of an adult who may have caused an unsafe situation for their child due to drinking alcohol on a special occasion. 1 in 12 parents admitted to a prior situation where they may have been too impaired from alcohol to take care of their parenting responsibilities.