Father's Day Survey Results

Looking towards a national holiday, we took the time to survey people’s attitudes about Father’s Day. Nearly 900 men and women alike responded to how they felt about the importance of spending time with their fathers and the degree to which being a dad would be or is, in fact, difficult. Of the people who weighed in with their opinions, 69% were women, 67% were parents and 24% were fathers themselves.
 
Although more women than men took this survey, over three quarters (77%) of the respondents thought that being a father was difficult (or very difficult). Cheers to all of you dads out there! Your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
 
What’s even more impressive is that a vast number of people who took this survey admire their own fathers. Eighty percent reported that they respected their own dads’ parenting abilities. This fact is supported by nearly the same number of people (78%) admitting that they have (or had) a good relationship with their fathers.
 
However, while 18% of respondents had a poor relationship with their dads, only 15% thought that their fathers could’ve done a better job as parents. The low percentages associated with this statistic promote the idea that fathers are strong role models for their children.
 
Yet, 70% of people who took this survey said that they weren’t going to buy their fathers a present for Father’s Day. While the irony of this fact appears shocking, over half of you (52%) reported that you were unable to buy a gift for your dad because he is either deceased or no longer in contact with you.
 
This discrepancy is also eclipsed by the fact that 86% of respondents said that they thought that spending time with their fathers, rather than purchasing something, was the best gift they could give for this important celebration.
 
However, dads also reported on what they would most want for Father’s Day gift… so, listen up all if you looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift! Exactly half of the fathers who responded said that spending time with their families was the best gift they could receive. Apparently, most respondents have got it right!
 
It looks like the moms and dads agree on the most popular gift: 39% of mothers also opted for spending time with their families, making this the leading gift for them (over even jewelry and help around the house)!
 
Interestingly, traditional gifts like ties or cologne and other male-oriented gifts (such as sports equipment or electronics) were not nearly as popular. In fact, while only 7% of dads said that they would want an electronic gift, a mere 1% desired a traditional tie or aftershave. It appears that the thought behind the gift really does count for dads.
 
Although mothers and fathers agree on the most popular gift, they do differ on when they first started feeling like a parent. While nearly 50% of mothers felt like a parent during pregnancy, most fathers (59%) didn’t feel like a parent until AFTER their baby was born.
 
This discrepancy is most likely due to the fact that a mother’s body changes drastically, making her constantly aware of the baby’s presence before birth. On the other hand, while fathers can see changes in the mothers’ bodies, they don’t actually experience dramatic changes themselves until the babies are physical beings that fathers have to handle too!
 
The following list reports interesting statistics about Father’s Day:
  • Father’s Day started in 1909 when Sonora Dodd hear a sermon about mothers and decided to start a day when people could commemorate and appreciate their fathers.
  • U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson (in 1966) was the first person to mark the third Sunday in June as the official day to celebrate Father’s Day.
  • In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon enacted a law to make Father’s Day a national holiday.
  • About 66.3 million men nation wide are fathers.
  • Of these men, 4% are single fathers.
  • The U.S. has about 98,000 stay at home dads.
  • The most popular Father’s Day gift is a necktie.
Father's Day Survey
Question/Answer Responses Percentage
How difficult do you think it is to be a father? 821
very difficult 176 21%
difficult 461 56%
neither 123 15%
easy 47 6%
very easy 15 2%
How would you rate your own father’s parenting skills? 865
very good 177 20%
good 293 34%
fair 222 26%
poor 132 15%
not applicable 41 5%
How would you describe your relationship with your father while you were growing up? 866
very good 165 19%
good 299 35%
fair 211 24%
poor 155 18%
not applicable 36 4%
How would you describe your adult relationship with your father? 874
very good 257 29%
good 256 29%
fair 146 17%
poor 94 11%
not applicable 121 14%
Do you plan on buying a gift for your father this Father’s Day? 877
yes 282 32%
no 160 18%
doesn't apply (deceased/absent) 435 50%
Are you a parent or guardian? 872
yes 585 67%
no 287 33%
Are you a father? 878
Yes 208 24%
No 670 76%
The best gift a father can receive on Father’s Day is time spent with his family. 864
strongly agree 411 48%
agree 335 39%
neither 93 11%
disagree 16 2%
strongly disagree 9 1%
What is your gender? 857
male 266 31%
female 591 69%
What is your age range? 867
17 or under 20 2%
18-24 49 6%
25-34 120 14%
35-44 175 20%
45-54 255 29%
55-64 175 20%
65 or over 73 8%
The following questions were asked to Dads only:
When did you first start to feel like a father? 206
 
when my partner was pregnant 55
27%
after the ultrasound/sonogram 7
3%
when the baby was born 76
37%
after the baby was born and we returned home 45
22%
when I adopted my child 23
11%
Which gift would you most like to receive this Father’s Day? (Select one) 208
card 17 8%
homemade gift 23 11%
help with chores 7 3%
sports equipment 4 2%
meal at restaurant 18 9%
time with family 83 40%
tie, cologne, wallet/other traditional gift 2 1%
electronics (camera, computer stuff, etc.) 13 6%
entertainment (book, CD, DVD, etc.) 5 2%
clothing 3 1%
tools 7 3%
gift card 6 3%
other 20 10%
The following questions were asked to Parents only:
Do you feel that you are closer to your children than your parents were with you? 582
very much 279
48%
somewhat 188
32%
not really 96
16%
not at all 19
3%
Has being a parent helped you to understand your own parents better? 582
very much 274
47%
somewhat 221
38%
not really 77
13%
not at all 9
2%
How often, if ever, have you asked your Father for parental advice? 583
very often 41
7%
often 112
19%
rarely 189
32%
never 107
18%
deceased 134
23%
The following question was asked if you were buying a gift for your father on Father's Day:
Which gifts do you plan to give your father? (Check all that apply) 282
card 196
70%
homemade gift 23
8%
help with chores 14
5%
sports equipment 5
2%
meal at restaurant 44
16%
time with family 72
26%
tie, cologne, wallet or other traditional gift 17
6%
electronics (camera, computer stuff, etc) 18
6%
entertainment (book, CD, DVD, etc.) 36
13%
clothing 41
15%
tools 17
6%
gift card 49
17%
other 97
34%