Parental beliefs about young children's leisure activity involvement

The primary goals of the current study were to examine parental beliefs about the benefits of leisure activities for their young children and to explore how these beliefs were related to their children's participation in leisure activities. Parents (n = 570) of children (aged 3 to 7-years-old) reported on their children's behavioral (i.e., frequency, breadth) and psychological engagement in their leisure activities, and a subset provided ratings of their perceptions of the benefits of children's leisure activities using the newly developed Perceived Activity Benefits Scale (PABS). Factor analyses indicated a three-factor solution for the PABS, which were labeled character, competencies/fun, and overcoming difficulties. After controlling for demographic variables, only the competencies/fun subscale of the PABS was significantly and positively associated with activity frequency, breadth, and psychological engagement. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications of parental beliefs about their children's leisure activities for their young children's experiences.