Stressed parents don't have time for children

Teenagers feel they do not get enough quality time with their parents, a study has revealed.

In a poll of 500 young people, a third expressed the desire to spend more time with their father, and a fifth complained that they do not receive enough attention from their mother.

The survey was carried out for the BBC One programme Panorama, which looked at the effects a long-hours culture can have on children's lives.

Of the 11 to 16-year-olds who took part in the survey more than a third said their parents brought work home at least once a week. 83% believed mothers with children under three should not work full time, and just over a third considered their parents to be 'stressed out'.

In families where both parents are working, 71% said their mother does the bulk of the housework.

Despite such feelings, teenagers do not seem to be put off work. Nearly a third of those interviewed said they expect to work longer hours than their parents in the future and 50% believe that earning more money has greater importance than having more leisure time.