No two parents have the same set of rules, and while some kids grew up with moms and dads who were strict, others parents let them get away with everything. And now a new survey reveals just how strict some parents were. A new YouGov poll finds:
- 38% of those polled say they had parents who were somewhat or much stricter than their friend’s parents.
- Only 18% say their parents were more lenient than their friend’s parents, with 38% saying their parents and their friend's parents had a similar level of strictness.
- Overall, only 11% of people with stricter parents say it was a bad thing, while 26% of those with more lenient parents say it was a bad thing.
- When it comes to rules parents set, the most common ones include:
- Doing chores (75%)
- Being home by curfew (75%)
- Going to bed at a certain time (72%)
- Getting good grades (71%)
- Homework an studying (71%)
- Drinking alcohol (69%)
- Smoking (68%)
- Eating all on the food on your plate (65%)
- Interestingly, only 50% of people said their parents had strict rules about dating, which is a smaller percentage than those who had rules about driving (59%), going to dances or parties (55%), what they wore (55%), or even what they watched on TV (55%).
As for how likely kids were to break the rules, the survey finds:
- 52% say they were somewhat or much less likely to break their parents’ rules compared to other kids their age.
- That’s more likely true for women than men (56% vs. 48%).
- 15% say they were more likely to break the rules than other kids.
- That’s more likely true for men than women (17% vs. 13%)
- As for the rules they were most likely to break, they include:
- Eating sugar (27%)
- Using the computer (25%)
- Playing video games (20%)
- Watching TV (20%)
Source: YouGov