【Summer Vacation Lifestyle Survey】Parents Juggle After-School Programs, Grandparents, and Work Shifts; 55% Provide Direct Academic Support

Actindi Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo), operator of the family outing information site "Iko-yo" for parenting families, conducted an awareness survey targeting 440 parents on how they spend summer vacation.

Summer vacation is not only about preparing meals and coping with heat, but also a major concern for parents regarding children’s “I’m bored” comments, academic support, and securing childcare.

The survey revealed that 55% of academic support is provided directly by parents, while childcare arrangements involve a precarious balance of after-school programs, grandparents, and work shift adjustments.

See also >> [Summer Vacation Lifestyle Survey] 60% of parents say “daily lunch” is the biggest challenge! Real-life tips from moms and dads to get through hot summer days at home with smiles.

【Survey Overview】Awareness Survey on Summer Vacation Lifestyles

Survey Method: Online survey (nationwide)

Target: Iko-yo Monitor Club members

Survey Period: June 25 – July 1, 2026

Valid Responses: 440 (83% female, 15% male, 2% no response)

*Percentages are calculated based on the number of respondents (n) per question, as some questions involve branching.

Survey Results Summary

① About 67% of households anticipate the “I’m bored! Do something!” call. Reliance is on video streaming and gaming consoles, but “cooking and baking” is also competitive.

② 55% of academic support is provided directly by parents. “Shinkenzemi / Kodomo Challenge” ranked first among selected learning materials.

③ Childcare arrangements involve a combination of multiple methods—“tightrope walking.” Public after-school programs, grandparents, and parental shift adjustments ranked highest.

【Highlight 1】Around 70% prepare for “I’m bored!” calls—relying on videos, games, and also baking

When asked whether their children might say “I’m bored” or “I want to do something” during this summer vacation, 67% answered “yes” (n=338).

What indoor activities or content are being used (or planned to be used) to pass the time?

“Video streaming services” (60%) ranked first as indoor entertainment, followed closely by “gaming consoles” and “cooking or baking” (45%). While relying on digital content, many families also incorporate hands-on experiences at home.

[Parent Voices] Indoor Content Usage Stories

“Playing board games like Life increases family conversations and lets us enjoy calculating money, while also passing the time.”

“Amazon Prime has both anime and movies, so my child stays focused long enough for me to finish all remaining household chores.”

“I plan to let my child play Mario Party, Animal Crossing, or Minecraft on Nintendo Switch as a reward for studying.”

【Highlight 2】40% of parents struggle with summer homework and learning—direct parental support is most common

Regarding management of summer homework and studies, 45% reported being “somewhat concerned” (31%) or “very concerned” (14%) (n=338).

[By Age Group] Over 80% of parents with middle and high schoolers struggle with learning

Looking at the combined “somewhat concerned” and “very concerned” responses by the youngest child’s age group:

0–2 years: 30%

3–6 years: 41%

Elementary lower grades: 55%

Elementary upper grades: 55%

Middle and high school: 83%

The concern remains relatively stable during elementary years, but sharply increases in middle and high school, likely due to more advanced academic content and exam preparation.

What tools are being used (or planned) to maintain learning habits (including homework support)?

“Parents teaching directly” was the most common at 55%. This was followed by “tablet-based learning materials” (33%) and “tutoring schools / summer courses” (20%) (n=271 / multiple responses allowed).

Specific learning materials and services mentioned include “Shinkenzemi / Kodomo Challenge” (40%), “Smile Zemi” (14%), and “Kumon” (10%) (n=84).

[Parent Voices] Summer Homework and Learning Stories

“Every year, we pull an all-nighter on the last day of summer vacation. Parents help out to get everything done.”

“We make a homework plan before summer break, but for some reason, we always end up rushing in the second half.”

“Our child gets angry when drawing doesn’t turn out well, doesn’t accept advice, and we both end up frustrated...”

【Highlight 3】Childcare is a “tightrope walk”—combining after-school programs, grandparents, and shift adjustments

Regarding childcare and supervision during summer vacation for working parents, 31% said “not concerned,” 23% “somewhat concerned,” and 10% “very concerned” (n=338). While only a portion face serious concerns, their solutions involve multiple combined methods.

What childcare or supervision methods are being used (or planned)?

Top methods include “public after-school programs” (38%), “leaving children with grandparents” (34%), and “parental work schedule adjustments / shortened hours / paid leave” (29%) (n=274 / multiple responses allowed).

Other methods include “children staying home alone” (23%), “GPS devices and monitoring apps” (18%), and “private after-school programs or extracurricular schools” (15%), revealing diverse strategies families use to get through summer.

[Parent Voices] Childcare and Supervision Stories

“We’re carefully confirming rules like ‘no fire use’ and ‘don’t open the door,’ and plan to increase opportunities for children to stay home alone this year. We want to try trusting them.”

“Since children sometimes stay home alone, we’ve installed a webcam at home. We also use Amazon Echo so we can make calls in emergencies.”

“We adjust work hours between grandmother and mother so an adult is home during lunchtime. We also give the kids child-friendly phones so they can contact us if needed.”

【Summary】Filling children’s “free time” during summer—families rely on a mix of home strategies and external resources

The challenge of filling children’s free time during summer vacation is being managed through a combination of household strategies and external resources like after-school programs, grandparents, and shift adjustments—a true “tightrope walk.”

Especially in academics, concerns sharply increase with middle and high school students, and securing childcare remains a pressing issue for working parents. In the future, expanded capacity in after-school programs and improved home-learning materials and services will be needed across society.

“Iko-yo” will continue to provide information on summer activity options for families and insights into parenting challenges.

【Usage of Charts and Data】

If this survey content is to be published or cited in media, please contact our PR team ([email protected]) before publication and credit “Iko-yo Family Lab Survey.” More detailed survey data is available upon request.

Iko-yo Family Lab

A co-creation parenting initiative that conducts weekly surveys via Iko-yo’s monitor members and publishes data.