Average parent spends this much time bargaining with their kid

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THE AVERAGE AMERICAN PARENT SPENDS 67 HOURS PER YEAR NEGOTIATING WITH THEIR CHILD, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH.

A SURVEY OF 2,000 PARENTS OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH ON BEHALF OF SEA-PAK ALSO FOUND THE AVERAGE MOM OR DAD STRIKES FIVE BARGAINS WITH THEIR CHILD PER WEEK.

PERHAPS UNSURPRISINGLY TO MOST PARENTS, DINNERTIME IS THE MOST COMMON MEAL OF THE DAY TO RECEIVE PUSHBACK FROM THEIR YOUNG ONES, WITH CHILDREN AGED 5 OFFICIALLY THE PICKIEST.

THE RESULTS SHOWED NEARLY HALF OF PARENTS (44%) ARE CONCERNED THEIR CHILD’S PICKINESS IS AFFECTING THEIR OVERALL NUTRITION. 

COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOT WANTING TO EAT VEGGIES (37%) WERE THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR MEALTIME MELTDOWNS, FOLLOWED BY DISLIKING THE SMELL OF THE MEAL (33%) AND ‘NOT LIKING THE WAY IT LOOKS’ (32%).

MOST COMMON KID CRITIQUES AT MEALTIME

• I don’t like vegetables/a certain vegetable (37%)
• I don’t like the smell (33%)
• I don’t like the way it looks (32%)
• It’s too spicy (22%)
• It’s too mushy (18%)
• I don’t want to eat something new (14%)
• It’s too plain/bland (10%)
• It’s boring (9%)
• I had this recently (yesterday, at lunch at school, etc.) (9%)
• It’s too chewy (9%)
• It’s too hot (temperature, not spice) (9%)
• It’s too cold (7%)
• It’s too crunchy (6%)

 Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American parents with school-aged children; the survey was commissioned by SeaPak and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between January 31 – February 4, 2025.

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.