Unstructured play declines faster for girls than for boys as they age. The researchers also wanted to know the effect of other factors, such as the parents' income, education, and employment status, on what kids do. Children in single-parent families spend less time reading. Children in a family with a more educated head of the household spend more time reading. Children of older parents are more likely to read than children of younger parents.
Girls spend less time in sports and boys spend more time as they grow older.
When other factors are held equal, black and Hispanic children spend less time in sports than white children. In all families, the parents' income, employment status or education level did not make a difference in the amount of time their children spent in sports. Children in two-income families watch less TV than children in male breadwinner families. They spend less time at home and are likely to be in school. Children of better educated parents watch less TV than children of less educated parents.