The main differences between working and non-working parents – and they’re not as different as you think

According to a new study, the average working parent puts in an 18-hour workday when you consider everything they do for their children.

From getting everyone ready for the day and out the door, to managing a household, planning activities, and trying to fit in some “me time,” parents have their work cut out for them.

The survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 0-6 was split equally between working and non-working parents and explored key differences between the two groups.

Along with their 9-5, working parents spend another two hours a day on housework and another two hours on transporting family members where they need to go.

They also spend an extra four hours getting their child ready for the day or helping with school work and other needs, and an extra hour on miscellaneous tasks and errands.

Working parents also admit to working an average of two hours of overtime during the week, on top of the seven hours in their usual workday. That leaves only about six hours for sleep.

But that doesn’t mean non-working parents don’t have a full plate, either. According to the results, those surveyed still require 17 hours a day.

Instead of devoting hours to work, these parents spend those nine hours caring for their children, another four hours on chores such as cooking or cleaning, and two hours on transportation and other errands.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Kiddie Academy, the survey found that regardless of their employment status, almost all parents (96%) believe that being a parent means they are always “on call”.

Overall, parents average only 31 minutes of “me time” per day, and 15% even admit they never get that sacred time.

However, almost three-quarters (73%) reported feeling safe when they became parents.

However, 56% of all parents admit to feeling guilty about not spending enough time with their child.

“With such a full plate, it’s no wonder parents still feel they don’t spend enough time with their child,” said Joy Turner, vice president of education at Kiddie Academy. “It’s important to make the most of the time you spend together.”

With so much to do and so few hours in the day, the survey also explored how parents are working tirelessly to help their child excel in life and at school.

The results revealed that the average parent worries about their child’s growth and development four times each day.

The top skills that all parents are trying to develop in their child include building good character (63%), social skills (62%), confidence (61%) and emotional regulation (56%).

Still, however, nearly a quarter struggle with teaching critical thinking skills (26%), how to connect with others (25%) and building trust (23%).

To help build their child’s confidence, most parents have allowed them to interact with others (64%), practiced positive affirmations with them (54%) or talked to their children about who they are grateful (47%).

Many parents even admit to going online and looking for ideas such as “the latest games/toys to build my child’s confidence” (30%) and “how do I build my child’s confidence?” (24%).

When asked where they felt they lacked support, parents described things like, “how to teach children the right habits,” “in terms of finding a good work-life balance,” or even “Don’t spending enough time outside the home”.

Some of the most anxiety-inducing milestones, according to parents, were sending their child to school for the first time (48%) and sending them to a daycare or childcare facility for the first time (32%).

The results revealed that 31% of parents surveyed currently use childcare – including 45% of working parents and 17% of non-working parents.

Of those surveyed, 85% agree that using childcare helps them maintain a sense of self and independence alongside being a parent.

The main benefits of childcare also include helping their child develop skills that are evident at home (48%), growing or developing faster or better (47%) and knowing that others besides themselves they are teaching their child (37%).

For working parents, using childcare has also allowed them to be more productive at work (35%) and freed up their capacity (29%).

“It is encouraging to see that many parents see the value and importance of educational childcare to support their children and their well-being,” said Turner. “The U.S. Surgeon General’s recent warning that parents are experiencing higher and more dire levels of stress should be a reminder to parents to lean on your community — family, friends and, if necessary, a trusted childcare provider. This can help improve stress levels and help children and parents thrive.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 1,000 non-working parents of children aged 0-6 and 1,000 full- or part-time working parents of children aged 0-6; The survey was commissioned by Kiddie Academy and administered and conducted online by Talker Research from August 18 to August 26, 2024.