0500 CHILD CARE

Category Description

This category captures time the respondent spends in child care. This includes care of infants (0533), general care of older children (0534), medical care of children (0535), playing with children (0536), supervising children or helping with homework (0537), reading to/ talking with child (0538), and other child care (0539).

  • 0533 CARE OF INFANTS

    Category Description

    This category includes baby care, usually for infants who are under five.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1975-76, 1985: This period includes care of babies aged less than 5 years old.

    2003+: The period of physical care for household children, organization and planning for household children, looking after household children as a primary activity, caring for and helping household children, using paid childcare services, and waiting associated with purchasing childcare services, as well as telephone calls to/from paid child or adult care providers. The children of interest are infants, that is, under 5 years old.

    Category examples
    Bathing household child
    Breastfeeding/nursing household baby
    Breastfeeding/nursing household child (2003)
    Carrying household child/baby
    Changing household child's diapers
    Cuddling household child
    Cutting household child's hair
    Drawing a bath for a household child
    Dressing household child
    Feeding household child
    Getting household child ready for bed/school
    Getting household child ready to go somewhere
    Getting household child up
    Giving household child a bath
    Giving household child a bottle
    Holding household child
    Laying out clothes for household child
    Preparing a shower for a household child
    Putting household child to bed
    Rocking household child
    Soothing household child/baby
    Tucking in household child
    Waking household child
    Helping with parties for household child
    Making costume for household child
    Organizing activities for household child
    Packing household child's bag
    Planning activities/events/parties for household child
    Planning play dates for household child
    Signing household child up for activities
    Unpacking household child's bag
    Checking on household child
    Keeping tabs on household child
    Monitoring household child
    Sitting/Supervising with household child
    Supervising household child swimming
    Watching but not interacting with household child
    Adopting a child
    Checking out daycare facility
    Hiring a nanny or babysitter
    Hiring a tutor
    Meeting with daycare providers
    Paying for after school care program
    Paying for daycare, lessons, instructions, summer camp
    Paying for tutorial services
    Talking to/with babysitter, camp counselor, daycare provider
    Waiting to meet a childcare provider
    Talking on phone to a babysitter, tutor, day care provider

    2004+: The category includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Helping household child bathe
    Helping household child brush teeth
    Helping household child feed him/herself
    Helping household child get dressed
    Helping household child use the bathroom

    2005+: The category includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Accompanying household child trick-or-treating
    Accompanying household child visiting Santa Claus

  • 0534 GENERAL CARE OF OLDER CHILDREN

    Category Description

    This category includes care, usually for children who are under 18.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1975-76, 1985: This period includes care for children of mixed ages as well as care for children aged 5-17.

    1985: In addition to care for children of mixed ages and children aged 5-17, this period also includes getting money, and gifts from an adult (for example, "got lunch money").

    2003+: General care of older children comprises of physical care for household children, organization and planning for household, looking after household children, using paid childcare services, using paid childcare services, waiting associated with purchasing childcare services, and telephone calls to/from child/adult care providers.

    Category examples
    Bathing household child
    Breastfeeding/nursing household baby
    Breastfeeding/nursing household child (2003)
    Carrying household child/baby
    Changing household child's diapers
    Cuddling household child
    Cutting household child's hair
    Drawing a bath for a household child
    Dressing/Feeding household child
    Getting household child ready for bed/school
    Getting household child ready to go somewhere
    Getting household child up
    Giving household child a bath
    Giving household child a bottle
    Helping with parties for household child
    Making costume for household child
    Organizing activities for household child
    Packing household child's bag
    Planning activities/events parties for household child
    Planning play dates for household child
    Signing household child up for activities
    Unpacking household child's bag
    Holding household child
    Laying out clothes for household child
    Preparing a shower for a household child
    Putting household child to bed
    Rocking household child
    Soothing household child/baby
    Tucking in household child
    Waking household child
    Helping with parties for household child
    Planning events/parties/activities for household child
    Signing household child up for activities
    Checking on household child
    Keeping tabs on household child
    Monitoring household child
    Sitting/Supervising with household child
    Supervising household child
    Supervising household child swimming
    Watching but not interacting with household child
    Adopting a child
    Talking on phone to a babysitter
    Talking on phone to a tutor
    Talking on phone to day care provider

    2004+: The period includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Helping household child bathe
    Helping household child brush teeth
    Helping household child feed him/herself
    Helping household child get dressed
    Helping household child use the bathroom

    2005+: The category also has the following examples:

    Category examples
    Accompanying household child trick-or-treating
    Accompanying household child visiting Santa Claus

  • 0535 MEDICAL CARE OF CHILDREN

    Category Description

    This category comprises of medical care for children inside or outside the home.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1985: This includes examples such as "took soon to doctor" or "gave doctor medicine"

    2003+: The post 2003 period includes providing medical care to household children, obtaining medical care for household children, as well as waiting associated with household children's health.

    Category examples
    Bandaging household child's cuts/burns
    Bandaging household child's scrapes
    Giving household child medicine
    Giving household child's insulin shot
    Helping household child with physical therapy
    Putting medicine on household child's burn
    Putting medicine on household child's cuts
    Sitting with sick household child
    Taking household child's temperature
    Accompanying household child to medical appointment
    Talking with household child's doctor, household child's nurse
    Waiting while doctor examines household child
    Waiting with household child at hospital
    Waiting with household child at physician's office
    Visiting household child in hospital

  • 0536 PLAY WITH CHILDREN

    Category Description

    This category comprises of time spent playing with household children.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1975-76: The category includes adults playing with children inside.

    1985: This period includes time playing with household babies aged 0-2,"indoors or outdoors." Play time with children also includes indoor playing; other indoor activities with children - games such as "playing" unless obviously outdoor games.

    1998-01: The category includes indoor playing.

    2003+: This period includes playing with household children, not sports.

    Category examples
    Entertaining household child
    Giving household child a piggyback ride
    Horsing around with household child
    Playing games w/household child only
    Playing with household child
    Singing/dancing with household child (2003)
    Tickling household child

    2004+: This includes dancing with household child

  • 0537 SUPERVISE CHILD OR HELP WITH HOMEWORK

    Category Description

    This includes time spent supervising school work such as homework, exercises and lessons.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1975-76: In addition to helping in homework, this also comprises of time teaching children skills and how to do things.

    1985: This period also includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Helping/teaching children learn, fix, make things
    Helping son bake cookies
    Helping daughter fix bike

    2003+: The period includes arts and crafts with household children, helping or teaching household children (not related to education), helping with homework, attending meetings and school conferences, home schooling of household children, waiting associated with household children's education, and other activities related to household child's education.

    Category examples
    Building model planes with household child
    Making holiday decorations w/household child
    Organizing coin collection with household child
    Helping household child do something (2003)
    Showing household child how to do something (2003)
    Teaching household child manners (2003)
    Teaching household child proper eating habits, proper hygiene (2003)
    Teaching household child to cook (2003)
    Teaching household child to tie shoelaces (2003)
    Checking household child's homework for completion
    Helping household child with a school project
    Helping household child with homework
    Picking up household child's books/assignments
    Quizzing household child before a test
    Reviewing household child's homework
    Signing household child's homework log
    Attending a PTA meeting
    Attending household child's back-to-school night
    Attending household child's parent-teacher conference
    Meeting w/school psychologist of household child
    Meeting with household child's tutor
    Meeting with principal of household child
    Observing household child's class
    Talking to/with household child's tutor
    Talking with teachers of household child
    Home schooling a household child
    Waiting to meet with household child's teacher

    2004+: This period also includes the following:

    Category examples
    Helping household child make arts and crafts
    Attending household child's school open house
    Meeting w/school speech pathologist of household child
    Meeting with guidance counselor of household child

  • 0538 READ TO, TALK WITH CHILD

    Category Description

    This is time spent reading to/talking with child, listening to children.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1965-66: Reading of tales or other non-school books to children, conversations with children, talking to children.

    1985: In addition to time reading to child as well as having conversations with household children, this period also includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Giving child orders or instructions
    Asking them to help
    Telling children to behave
    Disciplining child
    Yelling at kids, spanking children
    Correcting children's behavior

    2003+: This period includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Listening to a household child read
    Reading to household child
    Reading with household child
    Fussing at/scolding household child
    Hearing about household child's day
    Lecturing household child
    Listening to household child sing/recite
    Singing to household child
    Singing with household child
    Talking with household child
    Telling household child to brush teeth, get ready for bed

    2004+: This following were added after 2004 as well as 2007-2011 respectively.

    Category examples
    Helping household child read
    Teaching household child to read
    Praying with household child (2007-2011)

  • 0539 OTHER CHILD CARE

    Category Description

    This includes time spent in other childcare such as unpaid babysitting.

    Activity Coding Rules

    1985: The period also includes the following examples:

    Category examples
    Co-ordination or facilitating child's social or instructional non-school activities
    Child care outside respondent's home or to children not residing in household
    Other child care, including phone conversations relating to child care other
    than medical

    2003+: This period includes attending household children's events, waiting for or with household children, as well as picking up or dropping off household children.

    Category examples
    Attending household child's recital
    Watching a household child's school play
    Watching household child's sporting event
    Waiting for household child to finish his/her activity
    Waiting for household child to get ready
    Waiting for school bus with household child
    Waiting to pick up household child
    Dropping off household child at babysitter's
    Dropping off household child at friend's house
    Dropping off household child at soccer practice
    Picking up household child from church
    Picking up household child from day care
    Picking up household child from school

    2004+: The following category examples were added post 2004:

    Category examples
    Accompanying household child trick-or-treating
    Accompanying household child visiting Santa Claus