What are parents willing to give up for more family time?

Most parents experience FOMO — especially when their jobs require them to be away from their little ones.

A recent poll of 2,000 parents found 63% of them never want to miss a moment of their child’s life and 61% feel guilty when they’re absent during those times.

What 58% of working parents specifically never want to miss is bedtime.

Three in five parents would even give up coffee entirely to not miss tucking their children into bed at night.

Conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Amazon Glow ahead of the launch of their newest kid-focused device, the study revealed 59% of working parents cite their jobs make it challenging to spend a desired amount of time with their kids.

This feeling intensifies for many in industries that make it hard to be home for homework or bedtime. First responders (66%), commercial truck drivers (66%) and healthcare workers (64%) all cite they miss out on critical moments of their kid’s life due to their jobs.

While working long hours limits them from tucking in their kids at night, 65% of parents believe their children understand the situation and the sacrifices being made for them.

From the kids’ perspective, six in 10 said they would eat broccoli every night for a week if it meant having their parents home to tuck them in during bedtime.

“It’s clear that bedtime is such an important bonding moment for children and parents alike,” said Babak Parviz, vice president at Amazon “But there are many parents and family members who can’t always be there for it due to their job, which can feel like a painful tradeoff for families.”

Thirty-five percent of kids noted they miss watching movies together with their parents. The same percentage miss eating their favorite meals and 34% miss playing games together with their moms and dads when they're not home.

Parents do turn to technology to help fill the gap of being apart while working.  In fact, nearly half (45%) rely on video calling to stay connected with and chat with their kids.

However, it’s not without flaws. Over half (56%) said their kids have trouble paying attention during video chats. And a third can only keep their kids on the phone for a few minutes at a time.

“Technology is playing an increasingly powerful role in helping families stay connected from anywhere,” continued Parviz. “It’s exciting to see where the industry is headed. And how new innovations will better engage kids and empower these families to feel like they’re erasing the miles, even when apart.”

WHAT WOULD PARENTS GIVE UP TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH KIDS?

• Have every movie, show, or book spoiled for them - 27%
• Any presence on social media - 26%
• Go without TV - 24%
• Go without coffee/tea for five years - 24%
• Give up date nights - 24%
• My wellness routine - 24%
• Go without my favorite guilty pleasure - 23%
• Never eat my favorite meal again - 22%
• Never go on a vacation - 22%
• Go without salary/pay for an entire year - 21%