How Parents Think, How Children Feel

Children ages 7-14 and one parent or guardian
• Must live in the United States and be able to complete a survey in English
• Must have lived together at least half the time for the past year
• Parent must be the child's primary caregiver or share caregiving equally with another adult
• Must be your and your child's first time participating in this study

You and your child will answer survey questions today. Families who complete these initial surveys may be invited to complete a second survey in 6 months, and some families may also be invited to complete a third survey in 12 months. Today's surveys are the longest: the parent survey includes approximately 400 questions and takes about 60 minutes. The child survey includes approximately 100 questions and takes about 30 minutes. If invited, the second and third surveys will be similar but shorter (approximately 40 minutes for you, 25 minutes for your child).

Your parent survey asks about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences as a parent, as well as your child's emotions and behaviors. For example, you might rate your agreement with a statement like "I feel confident handling my child's emotions" on a scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Some questions will describe brief hypothetical situations where it may not be clear what has happened. For example, you may read about your child becoming upset while completing their homework and be asked what you think happened and how you would feel or respond.

Your child will complete their own survey about their feelings, experiences with peers, and family relationships. For example, they might rate how easy or hard it is to calm down when something upsets them. They will also be presented with brief hypothetical situations and questions, such as what they would feel and think if their favorite book went missing.

Note: The child survey includes questions designed for children ages 7 and older. However, if you feel your child would benefit from support during the survey (e.g., having questions read aloud, clarifying wording), we offer the option of having a study team member assist via Zoom. You will be asked about this preference during the study setup process.

This study examines how children and parents interpret situations involving family, friends, and school. We will look at whether these interpretations are associated with emotions, ways of coping, relationships, and well-being. Another focus is how parents’ thoughts and beliefs about their children connect to their parenting, as well as if these connections depend on factors such as social support, social media use, and stress. By checking in three times over one year, we can see whether parents’ and children’s perspectives change over time. This research may inform programs designed to help families navigate everyday challenges and support their well-being.

60 minutes for you and 30 minutes for your child for the initial surveys. If invited to complete the follow-up surveys in 6 months and 12 months, each follow-up takes approximately 40 minutes for you and 25 minutes for your child.

If you and your child participate in all three time points, the total time is around 2 hours for you (60 minutes today + 40 minutes at each follow-up) and 1.5 hours for your child (30 minutes today + 25 minutes at each follow-up).

You and your child will receive electronic gift cards (Amazon.com or Giftogram) within two weeks after each survey:
• Initial survey: $15 for you, $10 for your child
• 6-month survey: $10 for you, $10 for your child
• 12-month survey: $10 for you, $10 for your child

If you and your child participate in all three time points, your family can receive up to $65. You and your child will be compensated separately for each survey.

To be eligible for compensation, families must meet the study’s eligibility criteria and submit a valid consent video with both the parent and child visible. Each parent and child is eligible for compensation once per survey.