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Irish Wedding News

25/11/2013

Families Spend '36 Minutes Together Each Day'

The average family spends just 36 minutes of quality time together each day, a new study has found.

Researchers discovered that busy work schedules, as well as the volume of domestic chores needing carried out, leave little time for families to be together.

The study, which was carried out by IKEA, also revealed that a typical family will find time for only 15 days out together every year, with Christmas Day, the occasional Sunday and days spent in the garden during the summer as the times when families have quality time together. A visit to the grandparents, and reading to the children at night, also provided opportunities for families to be in each other's company.

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When it came to the reasons as to why families do not spend a lot of time together, working long or anti-social hours was the most common issue, with household chores and busy routines also topping the list. There are further problems though when it actually comes to family quality time, with eight in 10 parents admitting they often battle with the television or a video game to get their children's attention.

Despite the majority of families having good intentions to organise things for the family to do as a whole at weekends, plans were found to fall through a quarter of the time due to things getting in the way.

Some 55% of families claimed they have a hectic domestic life, while 70% admitted there are regular instances when the whole family sits in front of the television in silence because they are simply too tired for conversation.

Gemma Arranz, a spokesperson for IKEA, 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."

(JP/CD)

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"The average family spends just 36 minutes of quality time together each day, a new study has found."