School is out, and the kids are indoors, free from homework with lots of leisure time. So, what's the ideal activity for them during the holidays? For one mother and her energetic twins, the answer was simple: a Heelys race! This was followed by two more exciting challenges. To see how it all turned out, watch the video below:
A Closer Look at Quality Time
The unfortunate reality is that not every parent can spend as much time with their children as they would like. This is why, when Jen (the mother in the video) has time off work, she tries to make it meaningful.
But what about the rest of us? Since keeping up with our kids is so important, we at SkateHut decided to delve deeper into the topic. With this in mind, we conducted a survey to understand how parents feel.
Making Time for Our Children
We found that 72% of parents actually consider going to work a 'break' from their children. This might make most parents seem indifferent, but it's undoubtedly because when we do spend time with our kids, we give it our all.
In fact, 68% of parents have thought about reducing their working hours to spend more time with their children. 42% have considered working from home for the same reason. And 27% have even considered quitting their jobs to be there for their kids.
One reason we want to spend more time with our children is the fear of losing touch with them. One way this is happening is through language, which is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with.
Keeping Up with the Language
In our study, we found that 86% of adults admitted they are confused by their kids' language. The most perplexing terms included 'lit', 'woke', and 'GOAT'. Here’s the breakdown of the most frequently misunderstood words, along with the percentage of adults who are unfamiliar with them:
- Woke – 83%
- Lit – 75%
- GOAT – 68%
- Flossing – 59%
- Squad goals – 56%
But all is not lost for the older generation, as a respectable 76% of adults know the meaning of 'YOLO' (for the other 24%, it stands for 'You Only Live Once').
Age Doesn’t Always Bring Wisdom
Some parents like to think they understand new terms, but our survey revealed that these individuals are definitely not 'woke' (meaning 'aware'). When we asked for definitions, these were some of the responses:
Lit
Correct: 'Cool or fun'
Incorrect: 'The fire is ready'
YOLO
Correct: 'You Only Live Once'
Incorrect: 'A type of yo-yo'
On Fleek
Correct: 'Perfection'
Incorrect: 'A spelling mistake'
Squad Goals
Correct: 'Inspiration for your friends'
Incorrect: 'Goals your football team scored'
GOAT
Correct: 'Greatest of All Time'
Incorrect: 'Get on a Turtle'
Salty
Correct: 'Angry or upset'
Wrong: ‘Tasty’
Cray
Right: ‘Crazy’
Incorrect: 'Crayfish or lobster'
Savage
Right: ‘Harsh’
Incorrect: 'Bad table manners'
Summer Stress
This disconnect from our children can increase pressure on us, especially during school holidays. A recent study even revealed that as many as one in five parents faced notably increased stress levels during the school break.
This situation is compounded by the fact that most parents can only take time off in two-week intervals, whereas children typically enjoy a prolonged six-week break from school.
There is also the consideration of cost, as the average expenditure to keep children entertained during the summer holidays is estimated to be approximately £594. All those visits to the cinema, membership fees for sports teams, and extra lessons can really accumulate.
Summer Strategies
A budget-friendly way to engage with your children is by involving them in action sports. They don't need to join a team to ride a skateboard or scooter. And there are no rules when it comes to racing around on a pair of Heelys. Admittedly, you need to purchase the equipment initially, but once that's done, your kids are free to enjoy themselves as they wish.
We might not always have as much time as we'd like to spend with our children. We might not even grasp their jargon. But we can always bond with them through enjoyable activities. And these don't have to be action sports. For most parents, the key is simply to be present – and to join in the fun.