When It Comes To Sleepovers, Girls Will Be Girls
Toronto, ON - A new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Dove finds that nine in ten mothers who have at least one daughter aged 7 to 13, inclusive, report that their daughter `really enjoys sleepover parties' (91%). However, it's not all fun and games as most mothers (86%) also believe that sleepovers have the power to impact their daughter's self esteem - both positively and negatively.
In fact, one quarter (25%) of mothers report that their daughter has come home from a sleepover party feeling a little bit upset. Furthermore, nearly two in ten (17%) mothers say that their daughter is more self-conscious about her body and how she looks after attending a sleepover party.
It appears that the hurt feelings can start from the early planning stages of a sleepover party. Even though nine in ten (90%) mothers say that their daughters ask for their help with the planning of the party, and while most (81%) mothers believe that sometimes they have to help with the guest list so that people's feelings don't get hurt, four in ten (41%) mothers say that their daughter has felt left out because she has not been invited to a sleepover party. This occurs despite the fact that nearly all (92%) suggest that it is always good for mothers to talk to each other when a sleepover party is being planned.
The data also reveal that while mothers say that they are involved in the planning of sleepover parties, they might not be aware of what is going on at those parties. To this effect, eight in ten (84%) mothers believe that these parties are a time for girls to be girls, and so they leave them on their own to do just that. Further, a majority of mothers (61%) believe that what goes on at sleepover parties today is different from when they were young.
Thinking about what they believe takes place at sleepover parties, topping the list is `trying on clothes and experimenting with hair styles and make up' (82%), followed by `talking about boys and crushes' (72%), and `gossiping about other girls' (67%).
Other things that moms believe their daughters do at sleepover parties include `reading fashion, beauty and celebrity magazines' (45%), `talking about the latest celebrity gossip' (31%), `comparing their appearances and their bodies to those of their friends' (29%), and `comparing themselves to celebrities they admire' (27%). Similarly, nine in ten (87%) mothers believe that playing music is an important part of the sleepover party experience.
Even though mothers might not be monitoring what goes on with their own eyes, they appear to be comfortable getting a full synopsis after the party, with most (94%) indicating that they find it easy to talk to their daughter about what happens at sleepover parties.
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Dove from January 17 to January 21, 2007. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1066 Canadian mothers who have a daughter between the ages of 7 and 13, inclusive, was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
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