Parents Say Sacrificing Their Own Time Is ‘Absolutely Worth It’ To Nurture Kids Curiosity

Parents of young children are spending nearly all their time on work and childcare — and they wouldnt have it any other way.

A new survey of 2,000 U.S. parents of children under five, commissioned by Primrose Schools and conducted by Talker Research, found moms and dads devote 47% of their week to professional or personal tasks and another 42% to keeping their child engaged, educated, and entertained. That leaves just 10% — about 18 hours a week — for themselves, yet 92% say theyd happily add more to their already overloaded schedules if it meant helping their children explore their interests.

Ninety-six percent of respondents encourage their children to pursue passions beyond traditional academics, from music (68%) and zoology (52%) to art (50%), cooking (33%) and team sports (33%). Some parents shared more unusual interests — one child is fascinated by vacuum cleaners, studying how they work and pretending to review them like a product tester, while others gravitate toward elevators, bugs, or chess.

For many, enrichment programs are key. Sixty-two percent of parents admit they often wish for help keeping their children stimulated and say interest-based curricula boost happiness (56%), engagement (50%) and independence (47%) in their kids. Nearly four in five (79%) even reported learning something new from their childs discoveries.

“Every childs curiosity is a window into how they learn best,” said Dr. Amy Jackson, chief early learning strategy officer at Primrose Schools. “When we nurture those unique interests — whether its music, bugs or learning how plants grow — were not only supporting their development, but were also showing them that their passions matter, building positive character and social-emotional skills.”

The study also found 84% of parents believe personal interests should play a significant role in early education, with 93% agreeing those interests can develop valuable life skills outside the classroom. Two in three (63%) consider enrichment activities — such as music, cooking or STEM play — “very essential” for their childs learning experience.

Parents say these programs would not only benefit their children but ease their own load: 54% would feel more confident in their school choice if enrichment were built in, and 31% say it would reduce the stress of planning after-school activities. They estimate such programs could save them about 51 hours a week.

“When enrichment is built into a childs school day, its both a benefit for the child and their parents,” Jackson said. “Children gain confidence and independence by exploring new experiences in a structured, supportive environment, and parents gain back valuable time knowing their childs growth and happiness are being nurtured throughout the day.”