Overview

The Children in Families Project (CIF) examined children's views of family life in a variety of ordinary Victorian families, including intact, step and one parent families. Interviews were conducted with 195 primary school children, aged 8 to 9 years old, and 207 secondary school children, aged 15 to 16 year sold. This report to respondents is written for the primary school aged participants, and summarises their views on how they see their parents, separation and divorce, visiting non-resident parents, relocation, family rules, helping around the house, punishment, television viewing, siblings, how parents get on together, and school life.

Contents

• ABOUT THIS STUDY
• HOW CHILDREN  SEE THEIR  PARENTS
• Mothers
• Step-mothers
• What  are  mothers best and  worst  at? Time spent  with  mothers
• Fathers
• Step-fathers
• What  are  fathers best and  worst  at? Time spent  with fathers
• Children's fear  of parents
• WHEN PARENTS SEPARATE OR GET DIVORCED  
• How children felt at  the  time of the separation
• How children feel now about  their parents' separation
• VISITING THE OTHER  PARENT (ACCESS)
• Visiting with  mothers
• Visiting with fathers
• HOW FAMILY CHANGES AFFECT CHILDREN    
• Changes children would like
• Family changes which  have  already occurred
• How children feel when they  move house
• HOW FAMILIES ARE ORGANISED
• Children helping around the house 
• Who does what around the house
• Family rules: who makes the decisions?
• Punishment
• Television viewing  habits
• Pocket  money
• FAMILY LIFE
• Children's views of how their parents get on together
• Fights and  arguments between  parents
• How children react  to parent control
• Fighting between  brothers and  sisters
• CHILDREN'S OUTSIDE INTERESTS
• SCHOOL
• Position  in the class
• Best and  worst  subjects at school
• CONCLUSION