CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Parents shouldn't fret about their kids' absence
from household life between fifth and 12th grades, because it's not likely
a reflection of family turmoil, according to a new study. A surprise finding
is that total quality time children in that age group spend talking with
parents remains stable.
Reed Larson, a professor of psychology and family development at the University
of Illinois, has calculated how much children ages 10-18 pull away from
their parents. Once Johnny hits the fifth grade, his time spent in the living
room or in family activities begins dropping. By the time he's a senior
in high school, he's spending 60 percent less time on such activities than
he was eight years earlier.
"I think the number -- the fact that there is this decline of 60 percent
in the amount of time spent with families -- is somewhat staggering,"
said Larson, the father of a sixth-grader. "If you're a parent with
children approaching this age group, you may as well be ready to not see
them for a few years."
Larson's team published the findings in the July issue of Developmental
Psychology. Co-authors were Larson; Maryse H. Richards, Grayson Holmbeck
and Elena Duckett, all of Loyola University, Chicago; and Giovanni Moneta
of the Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki, Finland.
While detachment from family by teens is generally expected and considered
normal, Larson's team was interested in what happens to quality family interaction
during these turbulent years.
The researchers studied 220 middle- and working-class children of European
descent in the Chicago suburbs. The children -- from among 328 students
initially chosen while in the fifth to eighth grades for an earlier study
-- were given beepers and contacted randomly to find out about their activity.
Their method, Larson said, provided a more precise look at children's withdrawal
from their families than did previous questionnaire-based methods. A subsequent
study, as yet unpublished, found similar results among African-American
children in the same age group, he said.
Other findings: Puberty drove boys into less time with family than it did
with girls; girls were more likely to talk about personal issues with parents;
mothers were more likely a part of quality conversation; and the older kids'
having such things as cars, friends, jobs and parental permission to be
out later motivated their time spent away from home. Perceptions of family
conflict did not play a significant role in keeping children away.
"Parents need to know that the process of kids withdrawing from family
life is very typical," Larson said. "There will be fewer times
when a son or daughter will just plop down in the living room; instead they
will be withdrawing to the bedrooms or going off with friends."
Larson's advice: "Be ready. Kids are going to talk when they want to
talk, and it may be 11 o'clock at night or early on a Saturday morning.
A parent needs to be available. Most kids will find time; most kids want
to have interaction with their parents. Be there on the kids' timetable."
It also may help, he added, if the kids are allowed to take the lead in
those conversations.