FAMILY AND LEISURE

ACITVITIES
 FAMILY

The average British family has classically been

understood as a nuclear family with the
extended family living separately. However,
today the archetypical family (husband, wife
and children) can no longer be the exact social
expectation as divorce, remarriage,
cohabitation of couples and births outside of
marriage have become more common.
According to the Office for National Statistics,
more children are being raised in single parent
households. The number of same-sex families
have also increased by 40% since 2015,
following the legalisation of same-sex marriage
in England Wales and Scotland in 2014
The preference for most British families is to have a small family unit. This allows
mobility and relieves economic pressure over a parent’s lifetime. Government
studies show that most problems facing British families relate to being financially
stretched. Parents often make strategic choices about their children's education to
secure a good economic future for them. Children are encouraged to be
independent and self-reliant at an early age. However, more adult children are
living with their parents for economic reasons than ever before.

The average ages at which family life-events occur (e.g. marriage, children,
retirement) are rising, as people are tending to wait until later in life to have
children. This reflects the growing individualist orientation of both men and women
– particularly of the middle class – to want to establish a career for themselves and
travel before starting a family. Women tend to be much older when they have their
first child than previous generations, the average age being 29. As a result of this
older age of conception, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is becoming more common. The
state pension is granted at 67 for men and 65 for women. However, it is now
common for people to work later into life and remain in the British workforce for
several more years after the age of retirement.
 Leisure activities
The weekends are a time for families in Britain. Often the parents are
not at work having worked a five day week from Monday to Friday.
Saturdays are a busy time for shops with many families going shopping.

Sundays used to be a very special day of the week in Britain. It was the
one day of the week for 'worship and rest'. The shops were closed and
most people were at home or at church. Popular leisure activities on
Sunday used to be going to church and doing odd jobs around the
home such as gardening and DIY.

Until a few years ago shops were not permitted to open on a Sunday.
Sundays today are becoming like any other day other week with shops
open. Some families will now spend their time shopping rather than
going to church or they will combine the two activities
How do people spend their free time?

People enjoy various indoor and outdoor activities in Britain.

An Euro stat survey, the EU's statistical office, discovered that

people in Britain spend about 45% of their free time watching
television, 24% of their free time socializing, 22-23% on sport
and hobbies, and 10% on other activities. Other popular
leisure activities are listening to the radio, listening to pre-
recorded music, reading, DIY, gardening, eating out and going
to the cinema.
Television

The most common leisure activity in the UK is watching television. The average viewing time is
25 hours per person per week. Almost all households have at least one television set. The
proportion of households using satellite, cable or digital television was 44 per cent in 2002. Many
television programmes are about wildlife, animals, holidays, cooking and gardening. All these
things are much cherished by British people.

Digital Devices

In 2005/06, 88 per cent of UK households had a CD player and 79 per cent a mobile phone. In April
to June 2006, 26 per cent of people aged 15 and over owned an MP3 player.

In January to April 2006, 56 per cent of households in Great Britain had a desktop computer, 30 per
cent had a portable or laptop computer, and 7 per cent had a handheld computer.

Entertaining

The second most popular activity in Britain is visiting or entertaining friends or relations.

"Mum and Dad go out and visit friends at least once a week. Sometime me and my brother go too.
Every Wednesday after school James and I go to see our gran."
HOMES AND GARDENS SPORTS AND PHYSICAL
RECREATION
The British are known as a nation of gardeners. Most
people have a garden on their property. Gardening has Sports and physical recreation have
been a popular pastime since Roman times.Many always been popular. Local
people in Britain are proud of their houses and governments provide cheap sport
gardens. They want their houses and gardens to look and leisure facilities such as
nice. Every town in Britain has one or more DIY (Do it swimming pools, tennis courts,
Yourself) centres and garden centres. These are like parks and golf courses. People go
supermarkets for the home and garden. These places to watch other people play sports
are very popular with British home-owners at the like football or take part in sports
weekends. themselves

"We don't have a big garden like some people. Dad

likes to mow the lawn. Sometimes I help him. Mum
looks after the flowers. She weeds the garden so that
the garden looks good. I am growing some vegetables
in my garden."
PUBS

Going to the pub is the

most popular leisure
activity outside the
home