Parents urged to make time for their teenagers

Half of British teenagers (50%) think that their parents don't spend enough time with them according to new research from 'Fanta'. With school summer holidays nearly over, teenagers are sending out a clear message to their parents to devote more time to them.

Dispelling the myth that hanging-out with mum and dad is distinctly 'uncool', the majority of our teenagers (86%) actually like spending time with their parents, and a similar amount (87%) think it's an important thing to do.

With lots of famous parent-teenager duos seen out-and-about together it seems that socialising with parents has never been more popular.

However, results from the 'Fanta' study show that three quarters (74%) of teenagers don't think that their parents make time for them during the week so with the summer holidays nearly over, now is the perfect time for parents to try to make amends.

Working in conjunction with teenagers across the UK, 'Fanta' have produced a 'Guide to Teenagers' offering top tips on how to make the most of quality time with teenagers. Ideas suggested by teens include;

• Having a family meal (58%)

• Going on holiday (57%)
• Shopping together (47%)
• Going on a day trip (41%)
• Visiting a theme park (29%)
• Watching a film at the cinema (28%)
• Spending time at home with each other (17%)

Judi James, a leading expert in social behaviour explains this new phenomenon: "This new-found friendship between teenagers and their parents could be explained by the closing of the 'mental' generation gap. Despite the physical age gap between parents and children getting wider, we are now seeing parents' and teenagers' behaviour merge. We see parents and teens shopping in the same clothes shops, buying and listening to the same music and even going to the same festivals.

"This increasing desire to look and stay young keeps adults in closer touch with new trends and teen interests. This is resulting in an improved rapport between parents and teens – today's parents should capitalise on this and make sure that they allocated enough time to devote to their teenagers."

Cathryn Sleight, marketing director at Coca-Cola Great Britain who commissioned the report added: "We conducted this research to gain a greater insight in to family experiences, explore the time teenagers and parents spend together and better understand the bond between them.

"It's great that teenagers value their parents and enjoy spending time with them – but parents need to ensure their teens aren't left disappointed."

For tips and advice on coping with teenagers, visit www.fanta.co.uk to download the 'Fanta' 'Guide to Teenagers'.