Parents' messages about the role of extracurricular and unstructured leisure activities: Adolescents' perceptions

Parents are important sources of leisure learning, helping to develop their children's leisure values, attitudes, and behaviours. The purpose of this study was to understand the messages that adolescents perceive are communicated by their parents about the role of structured and unstructured leisure in their lives. Ten male and ten female Grade 12 students involved in various extracurricular school activities were interviewed. Adolescents received the following types of messages from parents: leisure plays an important restorative role, some leisure pursuits are more valuable than others, leisure is a means to various ends that can benefit individuals personally, and the role of leisure changes with one's stage of life. The findings suggest that parents and adolescents may focus on the functional aspects of leisure, particularly extracurricular activities, rather than viewing leisure including unstructured activities as an opportunity for pleasure and enjoyment.