Dads Have Problems Spending
‘Quality Time’ With Their Kids

10th July 2008

A new survey carried out on behalf of the Department of Children Schools and Families has shown that many fathers have problems with spending quality time with their children. The survey, carried out between 27th May to 3rd June was of 1500 dads and 500 children.

The survey of dads revealed that three quarters of dads (75%) spend less than 2 hours of quality time a day with their children and one in five (20%) spend less than half a day a week with them. 85% of dads believe that their children would like more of their time and 52% feel second rate compared to their child's mother, who they feel is the best person to talk to their children about their problems.

The children's survey showed that 55% of children wanted to spend more time with their dad, indeed 39% said they would rather play with their dad than a computer game or their friends.

70% of dads have never asked for advice on how to talk to or spend time with their kids and 38% wouldn't know who to ask if they did want help. But there are many services available to help dads with friendly, non-judgemental advice and information including more advice and real-life dads' top tips on spending happy time with your children.

These include:-

• Contact a Family: 0808 808 3555
• www.cafamily.org.uk: The only UK wide charity providing advice, information and support to parents of all disabled children.
• www.dads-space.com: No nonsense advice for dads from dads and parenting experts on a range of issues, including a safe 1-2-1 area where fathers who are separated from their children can build and enhance their relationship by staying in contact and interacting online
• www.dadtalk.co.uk: An online community of fathers where you can share ideas, find information and talk about the nitty-gritty issues of being a dad
• www.Netmums.com: A locally based social networking site connecting parents with each other and services within their local area.
• www.parentlineplus.org.uk: 0808 800 2222 (a free and confidential helpline operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). A national charity that works for, and with, Parents.
• www.relate.org.uk: Relate for Parents is a new service from Relate, the UK's largest provider of relationship counselling, aimed at strengthening and maintaining family relationships.
• www.YoungMinds.org.uk: 0800 018 2138 The UK's only national charity committed to improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of all children and young people.

Cath Allen from Relate for Parents one of the charities and organisations responsible for the research, “One of the most important things you can do for your kids is spend time with them. The more time you spend together the more relaxed you'll all feel in each other's company making it easier in the long run to talk about the things that matter."

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