Kids and parents are talking to one another much more, and about issues far more serious than “what’s for dinner?” Parents and kids are doing more together, talking more often, and talking about tougher issues. They’re even wearing more of the same clothing brands. In sum, 59% of mothers surveyed said there’s less of a generation gap today than there was only one generation ago. These, and other results of our latest mom study, suggest a “generation gap” that's either closed or closing fast.
“Every signal we see points to parents and their kids being or becoming far closer and more like peers today than the parents we studied were with their own parents,” says George Carey, Just Kid Founder and CEO. “A dramatically different parent-child relationship is emerging,” he adds.  The study found, for example, that parents are discussing far more difficult issues with their kids than moms ever discussed with their own parents. 51% of moms surveyed say they listen to their children more than their own parents did, while 53% say they spend more time talking to their children.
When they talk, the subjects are more serious. 91% discuss personal safety issues; 89% talk about nutritious foods; 87% discuss dangerous behaviors like drug use and nearly as many talk about sex and religion—all a long way from “how was your day at school?”
 Collaboration increasingly rules the roost, as well. 82% of kids have input into the clothing they wear and, what's more, 51% of moms ask their child’s opinion about their own clothing; even more let the child vote on lunches, snacks, and family restaurant selections. At the same time, 57% of the moms studied say they’re more involved in their kids’ school than their own parents were, and half say they are more involved in kids’ sports and after school activities than their own parents. Interestingly, 78% of Hispanic moms say they are more involved in their kids’ school than their own parents were.  |
Just Kid VP-Research Chris Moessner also found intriguing business insights in the study, including:
- 82% of moms want to see more products and services designed for the whole family to enjoy
- 79% want to find more fun things to do together as a family
- 93% have specific TV shows they enjoy watching with their kids. Most popular for kid/parent togetherness: “American Idol”
- Children have immense influence over family meal planning and grocery shopping
In addition to these marketing insights--and perhaps the study highlight: parents and kids are drawing much closer as a result of all this togetherness. 69% of mothers with girls 13-14 studied call their daughters their “best friend.” While it wasn’t probed specifically, consultation with kids on things like meals and bedtimes may make mom and dad candidates for the child’s “best friend” list, as well.
 The Just Kid study researched 499 mothers of kids age 5-14, a nationally representative sample. The data was weighted by age, gender and ethnicity of the offspring to ensure national representation. The sample was drawn from the Just Kid national survey panel in the first week of May, and presented May 20 at the KidPower conference in Orlando.
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