Family Results
There are a total of 152 families participating in the Family Relationships Study. Here are some facts and figures about the families in our study when the kids were all 10 or 11 years old.

If stranded on a desert island for one month, almost half (52.4%) chose a trunk full of sporting goods as their first pick for entertainment.

If your family won a sweepstakes, 26.8% of you would like to win the best seats in the house at a sporting event of your choice!

Almost two thirds of our families wanted Hillary Rodham Clinton to come to their homes as a guest. Oprah Winfrey was a distant second and not a single family chose Bart Simpson as a guest. Sorry Bart!

The outdoors appears to be a popular place for the kids in our study. Biking, swimming, baseball, or softball, and roller blading were favorite activities for you!

We bet that sometimes you kids feel like you are the only one who ever has to do chores! Well, most of the 8 and 9 year olds in our study also had to do chores such as making their bed, cleaning their room, and helping in the kitchen. So, you're not alone, everyone is giving a helping hand!

We asked parents to list the best things about their child and they gave us a HUGE list of the wonderful characteristics of their children. The most common responses were how loving and caring (35%) the children in our study are! Your parents also told us how intelligent you are and how much fun it is to be around you!

Child Results

By doing this research we learn so much about what kids are like, the things that are important to them, and what they hope for in the future. We found that many kids liked and disliked the same things and had the same concerns ! Here are some of the highlights.

Kids in this study told us that they like playing sports, watching movies, and going to Great America over the summer. Not everyone was looking forward to school starting up again but most were excited to meet new people and see old friends once they were back in school.
Many told us about the hardest things they face being this age. They felt that the social pressures and the responsibilities of school and homework are sometimes difficult to face. Many kids also reported that they were excited and looking forward to many things such as a later curfew, more responsibility and freedom, and of course, driving!

If offered the chance to change one thing in the world, many kids would like to see the world become a better, safer place for everyone. Some also wished for equality among people and the elimination of hate, drugs, and violence.

Parent Results

The parents who responded also had interesting things to say. Many mentioned biking, boating, and camping as fun family activities. Sporting events, going out to dinner, and watching movies were also family favorites! Many parents were involved in the organized sports programs, youth groups, and school organizations that their children participate in. Most reported being happy with these organizations, but some wanted to see the sports programs improved by making them less competitive and more social, promoting sportsmanship, fun, and learning!

Parents expressed concerns about the negative social influences and peer pressure that their children faced when they were 8 and 9 years of age. They wanted their children to develop self-confidence so they can make good choices for the future and be successful. In general, parents said they loved spending time with their children at home, on vacation, and in all kinds of organizations!