How parents plan to make back-to-school ‘magical’ for their kids

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHILD? A NEW SURVEY FOUND THAT PARENTS ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON ‘MAGICAL’ FOR THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS 

AND FOR MANY, THEIR GOAL IS TO GET  THEIR CHILD EXCITED ABOUT RETURNING TO THE CLASSROOM.

THIS IS BACKED UP BY A NEW POLL OF 2,000 PARENTS, WHICH FOUND THAT SOME OF THAT MAGIC IS FOUND BY ALLOWING THEIR KIDS CHOOSE THEIR CLOTHING AND OUTFITS (62%), PURCHASE SCHOOL SUPPLIES THAT THEIR CHILD LIKES (62%).

CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH ON BEHALF OF KEEBLER, THE DATA SHOWS THAT ONLY 40 PERCENT OF KIDS ARE TYPICALLY ‘VERY EXCITED’ TO RETURN TO SCHOOL AFTER SUMMER BREAK – WHICH MEANS PARENTS SAY THEY ARE WORKING OVERTIME TO MAKE IT MORE ENJOYABLE. 

OTHER WAYS TO BRING THAT MAGIC BACK? 

MANY PARENTS SAY THEY’RE SURPRISING THEIR KIDS WITH THEIR FAVORITE SNACK (43%), SLIPPING NOTES INTO THEIR LUNCHBOX (33%), AND GIVING THEIR CHILD A ‘LUCKY CHARM’ TO HELP THE SCHOOL DAY GO SMOOTHLY (19%).

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents of kids ages 6-12; the survey was commissioned by Keebler and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 8 to July 16, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.