Poll Reports

Four in five parents agree that children today are not grateful for what they have. Three in four parents say it’s a high priority to teach their children gratitude. Two in three parents involve their children in volunteer or service activities.

Parents say half of children 10-12 years and one-third of children 7-9 years use social media apps. 1 in 6 parents are not using any parental controls for their child’s social media apps. 1 in 3 parents say their child has been taught in school about safe use of social media apps.

Around one in five parents say they are often too stressed to cook. One in six parents say their child eats fast food at least twice a week. Three in five parents try to limit unhealthy items when their child eats fast food.

Over half of parents say at least one aspect of the 2020-21 school year was worse for their child than the prior year, while 1 in 3 say at least one aspect was better. 4 in 10 parents say their child is more enthusiastic about the 2021-22 school year than last year. 3 in 5 parents say their child would feel safer if most students and teachers were vaccinated against COVID.

3 in 4 parents say the recommendation of their child’s healthcare provider will be important to their COVID vaccine decision. A doctor’s office is the most preferred vaccination location for parents of children who have not received a COVID vaccine. Fewer lower-income than higher-income parents say they are likely to have their child get a COVID vaccine.

Nearly 1 in 4 parents say they have worried their child was or might be delayed in their milestones. Among parents who suspected their child was behind in their milestones, nearly 1 in 5 did not seek advice from a healthcare or childcare provider. 9 in 10 parents are either confident or very confident they know when their children should achieve most of their milestones.

1 in 5 parents report their child had a virtual healthcare visit during the pandemic. Lower-income parents have more concerns about technical problems related to virtual care. Parents are more comfortable with virtual visits for mental health or minor illness than for check-ups.

3 in 4 parents say their child’s sport is about right in their approach to COVID-19 precautions. Most parents give high ratings to their child’s school or sports league for clear communication, treating children fairly and listening to parent concerns about COVID-19. 1 in 4 parents rate their child’s sports league as fair/poor for consistent enforcement of COVID-19 precautions.

3 in 4 parents say COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their teens being able to interact with friends. 1 in 3 teen girls and 1 in 5 teen boys have experienced new or worsening anxiety since March 2020. Half of parents have relaxed family rules to allow their teen more contact with friends.

1 in 3 parents say COVID-19 has made it hard to get dental care for their child. Children with Medicaid dental coverage have had more problems getting a preventive dental appointment. 1 in 4 parents say their child’s oral health habits have improved during the pandemic.