Opinion, Dialogue, Review

Abstract

Concerns about children's time-use and daily activities are not new. Nevertheless it is evident that such studies are scarce and partial and that as of today the knowledge we have on the patterns of children's everyday activities and the way in which different patterns of activity impact on children's well-being is insufficient. This article makes a case for the importance of time-use studies of children: such studies that will provide a flexible resource for describing and analysing children's social lives and well-being. Based on an extensive and rigorous literature review, the article analyses various studies on children's time-use by their goals, target population and methods. An analysis that provides not only the basis for calling for more studies but suggests how children's time-use could be studied on a larger scale and on a regular basis as a part of society's effort to study and monitor its children's well-being.