Indicator: Family Time For Leisure and Recreation

Outcome (s): Families having opportunities to work and play

Why This is Important

Part of a healthy lifestyle for families and children is the opportunity to play and relax. Especially for those families in which both parents are working, there is a concern that family time for leisure and recreation may get pushed aside by the demands of daily activities. This Mark recognizes that all families need opportunities to play.

Where We Stand

For these households with children 18 or younger, the downward negative trend on this indicator continues – falling almost 20 percentage points since the year 2000. For 2005, 55% of all respondents agree/strongly agree with the statement that they believe that their family has adequate time for leisure and recreation. 26% of all respondents felt neutral about the statement and 19% responded disagree/strongly disagree.

Data Source and Context

Data on this indicator comes from a random digit dial statewide telephone survey of Maine households with children/youth present who are age 18 or younger. There were 403 respondents to this survey, each an adult in the household who self-identified as a parent. This survey was conducted by Critical Insights, a strategic marketing research firm in Portland, Maine. This survey for this 2005 report was completed in January 2006. Data is not available every year on this indicator due to funding limitations.

The adults were asked the following: “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I believe that our family had adequate time for leisure and recreation.”