Parents and kids see quality time differently.

• Position: Families

Parents and children agree they want to spend quality time together, but tend to disagree on what it takes to make family interaction meaningful, according to the National KidsDay Meaningful Time Survey, conducted by Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The telephone survey of 500 families found that one-in-five kids say that they have "too little" or "hardly any" meaningful time with their parents. Meanwhile, a majority of parents are dissatisfied with the amount of quality time they spend with their children, with 54% admitting that they are spending "too little" or "hardly any" meaningful time with their offspring.

The survey reveals that, more than half the time, parents and children from the same family disagree about activities that constitute meaningful time. Although, in general, adults and kids list many of the same activities, they differ in the emphasis they place on fun-focused vs. instructive ones. More children say fun-focused activities (49% vs. 35%) constitute meaningful time, whereas the vast majority of parents place instructive activities at the top of their lists (62% vs. 35%). Youngsters also are more discriminating than parents about the activities they consider meaningful. Thirty percent of parents believe all the time they spend with children is meaningful, regardless of what they are doing. Only 11% of kids feel the same way.

"The [survey] demonstrates that parents...