The children, the parents and age distribution
The children
We sought to gain a balance between the number of boys and girls represented in the different age groups. The idea of the question concerning special attachment to older/younger siblings was to gain information about the significance of play with siblings.
Only 17% of the participating children were only children. The remainder had siblings and of these 63% responded that they were closely attached to their brothers/sisters. Play with siblings is therefore a significant factor in many children’s lives.
The mutual attachment between siblings is expressed in a variety of ways. They share toys and playmates and the area available for playing in and around the home. They play together because the age difference is often minimal and they have the same relationships within the family, circle of friends, acquaintances, neighbours, etc.
Only very few children play alone or isolated with their siblings while 26% (most of these only children or children with very small or very much older siblings) play only with playmates. The majority of children play both with siblings and with playmates.
82% of the children attend some kind of child day care institution or are looked after by a childminder, attend school and/or children’s after-school club.
The children’s mutual communication and the degree to which they influence each other with regard to toy purchases and play with toys is therefore generally very significant. In addition, in this research, there is no segregation of the sexes which might have special significance for the children’s choice of toys and play. Other factors which may confirm this will therefore be examined in the light of the information collected.
5% of the children attended play group or similar kind of organised play once a week so only 13% of the children gave no information at all about how they were looked after outside the home, after school or looked after by someone at home.
|
|
|
|
Boys 51%
|
Girls 49%
|
||
|
Total no. of children |
401 |
100% |
86 |
119 |
73 |
123 |
|
Age
|
3-5 years |
6-10 years |
3-5 years |
6-10 years |
||
|
No. of siblings
|
||||||
|
0 |
68 |
17% |
18 |
16 |
15 |
19 |
|
1 |
230 |
58% |
50 |
67 |
40 |
73 |
|
2 |
83 |
21% |
14 |
31 |
14 |
24 |
|
3 |
15 |
4% |
3 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
|
4 |
4 |
1% |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
No information |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Special attachment to one or several siblings
|
||||||
|
No |
117 |
37% |
23 |
33 |
19 |
42 |
|
Yes |
195 |
63% |
39 |
64 |
37 |
55 |
|
No information |
89 |
|
24 |
22 |
17 |
26 |
|
Playmates
|
||||||
|
I have no playmates |
2 |
- |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Siblings |
8 |
2% |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Playmates |
104 |
26% |
25 |
30 |
21 |
28 |
|
Siblings + playmates |
287 |
72% |
55 |
88 |
50 |
94 |
The parents
Table 3.3.2.1. The Parents
|
Total no. of parents: 698 |
Fathers:315
|
Mothers:383 |
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AGE DISTRIBUTION
|
||||
|
20-24 years 25-29 years 30-34 years 35-39 years 40-44 years 45-49 years 50-54 years 55-59 years No information |
0 22 107 121 46 15 3 1
|
3 60 162 113 35 7 1 0 2 |
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EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
|
||||
|
Further education: long course Social/health/education Commerce/administration/service Skilled/technical None/other No information |
62 33 38 154 29 |
20% 11% 12% 49% 9% |
29 139 117 24 74 2 |
8% 36% 31% 6% 19% |
|
PROFESSION/JOB
|
||||
|
Routine Skilled/technical Contact/communication/customer service Decision-making Artistic creative Other |
61 118 87 36 5 9 |
19% 38% 28% 11% 1% 3% |
95 26 189 7 5 61 |
25% 6% 49% 3% 1% 16% |
|
WORKING LIFE PATTERN
|
||||
|
Wage-earner Self-employed Career |
210 39 66 |
67% 12% 21% |
341 28 14 |
89% 7% 4% |
|
PARENTAL LIFE PATTERN
|
||||
|
Housewife Supportive Shared responsibility Single parent |
2 1 300 12 |
- - 95% 4% |
31 18 277 57 |
8% 5% 72% 15% |
Age distribution
(Table 3.3.2.1.)
The majority of mothers are between 25 and 35 years old while the fathers are 30-40 years old which is in accordance with the Danish Statistics Annual Figures for 1990, table 48, Average Age of Danish Parents.