Study Tracks How Children Spend Their Time

By Linda Jacobson

What children do with their time, and how parents spend it with them, has a significant effect on children's well-being, a new study says.

And while children are spending more hours in structured programs, it's still "quality time" with parents that really matters, according to Sandra L. Hofferth, the lead researcher for the study, which was released last week by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "That's good news for busy parents," Ms. Hofferth writes.

The report, "Healthy Environments, Healthy Children," looks at the daily schedules of children 12 and younger, as well as how their activities help...