Parenting in America
Parents with higher and lower incomes don’t always share the same concerns
Embed
Attachment Info
- Parenting in America
- Parents’ view of their neighborhood differs sharply by income
- More concern about violence, teenage pregnancy among lower-income parents
- For U.S. kids, strong link between parents’ marital status and likelihood of living in poverty
- Millennial moms give themselves high marks
- Most parents want others to see them as good parents
- A gender gap in parenting styles
- Most college graduates say too much parental involvement in a child’s education can be a bad thing
- Kids of higher-income parents are more likely to be in extracurricular activities
- Use of spanking differs across racial and education groups
- Key differences in parental concerns across racial lines
- For children, growing diversity in family living arrangements
- The two-parent household in decline
- Black children and those with less educated parents less likely to be living in two-parent households
- One-in-six kids is living in a blended family
- Among women, fertility is declining
- Among Hispanics and the less educated, bigger families
- The decoupling of marriage and childbearing
- For the less educated, more births outside of marriage
- Among mothers, rising labor force participation
- In four-in-ten families, mom is the primary breadwinner
- Parents’ view of their neighborhood differs sharply by income, race
- Meeting basic expenses much more challenging for single parents
- Parents who live comfortably give themselves higher ratings for parenting
- Millennial moms give themselves high marks for parenting
- About 9-in-10 parents say it matters “a lot” that spouse or partner sees them as a good parent
- For most, being a parent is central to their identity
- Parents of young children find parenting more enjoyable, rewarding
- Mothers, more than fathers, find being a parent tiring
- Parents who always feel rushed are more tired, stressed than other parents
- Many parents say they spend too little time with kids, partners, friends
- Most full-time working moms say they don’t have enough free time for friends, hobbies
- Moms, more than dads, turn to family and friends for parenting advice
- Half of college-educated moms get advice from parenting websites, books, magazines
- Black and Hispanic parents are more likely to see kids’ successes and failures as a reflection of their parenting
- Most parents say they can be overprotective at times
- Parenting styles across generations
- Parents are divided on how they view their children’s successes and failures
- Few parents say they spank their kids often as a way to discipline
- Honesty, compassion, hard work trump financial independence, ambition when it comes to parents’ hopes for their kids
- Mothers and non-white and lower-income parents place more importance on college degrees
- Six-in-ten parents worry their children might be bullied at some point
- Parental concerns vary across racial and ethnic groups
- Parents say kids should be at least 10 to be alone at home or in public without adult supervision
- One-in-five separated or divorced parents say they disagree with children’s other parent often
- Most parents generally agree that kids shouldn’t feel bad about poor grades as long as they try hard
- Many would be disappointed if their children got poor grades
- Low-income parents slightly more likely to say they don’t put enough pressure on their kids to do well in school
- About half say parents could never be too involved in their kids’ education
- About six-in-ten black parents wish they could be more involved in their kids’ education
- Full-time working moms are less satisfied with their level of involvement in children’s education
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
Research Topics
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center