









































ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

83

Original scientific article                                         doi: https://doi.org/10.35469/ak.2020.223
received: 2020-03-05                                               UDC:379.8-053.4:796.011.1

MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE 
OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD

Saša PIŠOT1

1 Science and Research Centre, Koper, Slovenia

Corresponding Author: 
Saša PIŠOT

Science and Research Centre, Koper, Institute for Kinesiology Research, 
Garibaldijeva 1, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia

Phone: +386 663 77 31
E-mail: sasa.pisot@zrs-kp.si

ABSTRACT 

In the contemporary life of a family, mothers are often faced with a conflict between 
work and family in order to assure a healthy childhood for their children. How to pro-
vide active leisure time for a child in accordance with healthy lifestyle guidelines, and 
what factors affecting the quantity and quality of a child’s physical activity, have been 
researched from the perspective of mothers. The qualitative and quantitative methods 
of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews (n=54) with mothers were executed 
with the aim to study important factors which distract mothers and their children from 
ensuring physically active leisure time. Additionally, the possible correlation of chil-
dren’s motor efficiency and family characteristics were studied. From the mother’s per-
spective we found that “lack of time” along with “weather conditions” were two major 
obstacles. Mothers also indicated “the access to recreational facilities” and “health of 
a child” as common impetuses for active outdoor leisure time. Additionally, compari-
son of family characteristics showed that active family leisure behavior is influenced by 
i) demographic and personal factors of the family (family size, SES , sports history), ii) 
social factors (employment and schedule of employment, financial status of the family, 
social networks support), and iii) environmental factors (weather, accessibility, and 
safe conditions for physical activity, as well as living conditions). Because environmen-
tal factors are harder to change, we need to pay attention to demographic, personal, 
and social factors of mothers (families) with reduced possibilities and enable them to 
ensure conditions for healthy child development. 

Keywords: physical activity, family’s leisure time behavior, personal and social 
factors of PA, motor efficiency. 



84

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

USKLAJEVANJE AKTIVNEGA PREŽIVLJANJA PROSTEGA ČASA 
PREDŠOLSKIH OTROK IZ PERSPEKTIVE MATER

IZVLEČEK

Sodobno življenje družine s predšolskimi otroki postavlja predvsem pred matere 
dnevne izzive. Zagotoviti otrokom kvalitetno preživljanje prostega časa v obliki gi-
balnih/športnih aktivnosti na prostem, ob delovnih obveznosti nemalokrat privede do 
konflikta med delom in družino. Kako skladno s smernicami zdravega življenjskega 
sloga nuditi otroku dovolj gibanja in aktivno preživljanje prostega časa, predvsem ka-
teri so najpogostejši dejavniki, ki vplivajo na količino in kvaliteto gibalne aktivnosti, 
smo proučevali na primeru mater predšolskih otrok, ki še vedno ohranjajo primarno 
vlogo nosilk skrbi za otroke. Izvedli smo vprašalnike ter polstrurkturirane intervjuje 
(n=54) ter preko sinteze kvalitativnih in kvantitativnih metod nadalje ugotavljali po-
vezanost med otrokovo motorično učinkovitostjo, značilnostmi preživljanja prostega 
časa ter socio-demografskimi značilnostmi družine. Ugotovili smo, da je pomanjkanje 
časa, poleg slabih vremenskih razmer ena izmed glavnih ovir za vsakodnevno gibalno 
aktivno preživljanje časa na prostem. Matere so kot vzrok navedle tudi slabši dostop 
do površin in navadno slabše zdravstveno stanje otroka. V nadaljnji primerjavi gibalne 
učinkovitostjo otroka in aktivnega preživljanja časa na prostem ugotavljamo tudi vpliv 
i) demografskih in osebnih dejavnikov družine (število družinskih članov, zdravstveni 
status, športna zgodovina staršev), socio-ekonomskim dejavnikov (zaposlitveni status 
staršev in delovna obremenitev, finančni status ter socialna mreža pomoči) ter okoljski 
dejavniki (vremenski pogoji, dostopne in varne zunanje površine, bivanjski pogoji), ki 
pa se spreminjajo v času. Na določene fizične in okoljske dejavnike je težje vplivati, 
zato je učinkoviteje, da pri reševanju pozornost namenimo demografskim, osebnim in 
socio-ekonomskim dejavnikom ogroženih mater oz. družin (nizki dohodki, enostarše-
vske družine) in omogočimo boljše pogoje za aktivno preživljanje prostega časa.

Ključne besede: gibalna/športna aktivnost, družinski vzorci preživljanja prostega 
časa; osebni, socialni in okoljski dejavniki GŠA, motorična učinkovitost.



ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

85

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

INTRODUCTION

Today’s contemporary family is facing the problem of time management, bal-
ancing between work and leisure time with family members. The labor market, es-
pecially since the late 1970s, has provided more and more employed women. Even 
though this development can be characterized as a major success of emancipation 
and many economies derived great benefits from the additional labor supply and 
the contribution of women (OECD, 2001), this advance toward equality in the labor 
market paradoxically means that women become active in two domains of life: their 
traditional domain of care of the family members, along with that of work (Bettio 
et al., 2014). This new status often ends in Work-Family Conflict (WFC), (Lewis 
& Lewis, 1996) which is primarily a matter of limited time available (Remery & 
Schippers, 2019). Sometimes the total work and family tasks may exceed the avail-
able time budget (24 hours/day) and work and family tasks require parents to be in 
different places at the same time, so WFC may develop from intertemporal problems. 
Alongside the contemporary phenomena of “intensive” parenting, “child centricity” 
and “protective” childhood still indicate an emphasis on intense maternity as an ex-
clusive, fully child-centric, emotional and long-term mandate (Pišot, 2018; Arunel 
et al., 2019). Despite “active” fatherhood, we are also witnessing in gender-work 
related equality in Slovenia, that the father’s role is treated more as parental support 
in the play and engaging in sports with children (Rener et al., 2008), while the house-
hold remains in the domain of mothers (Rener, 2006). Contrary to the evident WFC, 
resent research has pointed out the problem that children are not physically active 
enough; i.e., becoming more sedentary, especially in their adolescence. The increase 
of screen time clearly reduces time spent physically active, and results in altered 
development of motor patterns, which have changed remarkably in recent decades, 
especially free outdoor play, as traditional games are replaced by several indoor more 
sedentary games (computer games). This pandemic of sitting (Andersen, Mota & Di 
Pietro, 2016) exists along with the widely spread paradigm of positive health ben-
efits of physically active lifestyles that can diminish health risk factors (cholesterol, 
depression, injury, bone density, blood pressure, obesity, metabolic syndrome) (Jans-
sen & LeBlanc, 2010). Regular physical activity (PA) in childhood is necessary to 
establish elementary motor patterns needed for children’s physiological, motor, and 
psychological development (Owen et al., 2010; Dietz, 1998; Biddle & Asare, 2011; 
Mutrie & Parfitt, 1998). Particularly for children and adolescents, early physical ac-
tivity experiences are important for influencing active lifestyles in their adulthood 
(Thompson, Humbert, & Mirwald, 2003). Furthermore, childhood is considered the 
best time for the socialization of children into physically active leisure time because 
of the development of motor competence (physical activity skills), attitudes, values, 
and behaviors (Telama, Yang, Laakso, & Viikari, 1997). Unfortunately, being active 
in leisure time with all its benefits is becoming a challenge for the contemporary fam-
ily. Arising from the age and contexts of preschool children, busy daily schedules no 
longer favor families depending on many factors, including the socioeconomic status 



86

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

of the family and their “time free from economic necessity”1 (Bourdieu in Kamin & 
Tivadar, 2011). When family leisure time is shrinking, additional efforts should be 
made to encourage and enable physically active leisure time of families. Previous 
longitudinal studies (Bouchard, 1996) showed that parents had a significant role in 
support (e.g., financial, practical, and emotional) and were role models for physi-
cally active leisure. In fact, one study noted that children of active parents were 5.8 
times more likely to be active in their adulthood than children of inactive parents 
(Bouchard, 1996). Lack of parental support, on the other hand, negatively influenced 
attitudes and behaviors towards physically active leisure during childhood and ado-
lescence with a lasting effect in adult years. In general, the parental support showed 
facilitated involvement and the more support was perceived, the more the level of 
physically active leisure increased either directly or indirectly through its influence 
on a child’s efficacy (Trost et al., 2003).

The determinants of a physically active lifestyle are complex and are mostly 
socio-demographic (sex, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, presence of mother/
father in household, work status) and environmental correlates of physical activity 
(urban residence, use of community recreation facilities, crime in neighborhood, re-
gion) (Gordon-Larsen, McMurray, & Popkin, 2000). While socio-cultural factors are 
most often associated with physical activity, socio-demographic factors relate more 
to sedentary leisure time. Environmental (physical) factors such as living enviro-
nment of a family (home, neighborhood, facilities for PA) and the living conditions 
from the point of view of accessibility and safety significantly influence families 
(Dowda et al., 2011; Kerr et al., 2006; Saelens, Sallis, Black, & Chen, 2003). 

Despite the important role of environmental and socio-cultural factors where pa-
rents are key to primary socialization, little is known about the mothers’ perspective 
and strategies regarding their children’s PA in leisure time. Little research has par-
ticularly been undertaken to understand the choices and opportunities of mothers to 
ensure children’s healthy lifestyle regarding active outdoor leisure time, particularly 
from their perspective and in a format that allows them to reflect on their individual 
experiences (Thompson et al., 2003). Our research question refers to mothers facing 
the WFC in enhancing healthy family lifestyle and outdoor physical activity of chil-
dren in leisure time. The study includes mothers of preschool children in regard to 
perceived barriers which enable or inhibit them to go out and ensure their children 
are physically active in their leisure time. Additional research referred to other factors 
that influence family active leisure behavior: i) demographic and personal factors of 
the family (family size, health status, sports history), ii) social factors (employment 
and work shift, financial status of the family, social networks support), and iii) envi-
ronmental factors (weather, accessibility, availability and safe conditions for physical 
activity, or family living conditions) impacting the motor efficiency (ME) of a child 
(measured as elementary motor patterns assignments and summed as motor efficiency). 

1  “Time free from economic necessity” refers to time free of work or activity that enables provision 
for necessary means for living (Bourdieu, 1986). 



ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

87

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

METHODS 

A mixed method approach was used including the qualitative (a part of semi-struc-
tured interview concerning family lifestyle) and quantitative approach (questionnaires’ 
data and quantitative grouping of children according to their motor efficiency test re-
sults). That kind of method enabled us to study the problems of enhancing a healthy 
family lifestyle from the mother’s perspective: 

a.  from the scope of the extent of perceived barriers which enable or inhibit 
outdoor physical activity of children during leisure time; 

b. from the qualitative view of the factors influencing a mother’s parenting in the 
domain of active outdoor leisure time; 

c. from the perspective of qualitative comparison of links between demographic, 
socio-economic, and environmental factors of the family and the child’s motor 
performance (efficiency). 

The research sample: The research was conducted in the frame of the national ap-
plied project “Analyses of Elementary Motor Pattern, Skeletal and Muscular Adapta-
tion on Specific Sedentary Lifestyle Factors amongst 4 to 7 Year Old Children.” The 
semi-structured interviews (n=60) and questionnaires (n=87) investigating a family’s 
everyday life were carried out with mothers of four-year-old children involved in the 
project (n=107). For the study we obtained data from a specific sample involving 
mothers who carried out the interview (n=54), filled in the questionnaires (n=54), 
and allowed the participation of their four-year-old children in the motor efficiency 
measurements (N=54, boys=26). The interviews were executed from April to August 
2010, along with questionnaires, which asked mothers to list the most significant fac-
tors enabling them and other family members to be physically active outdoors during 
their leisure time. 

Questionnaires regarding demographic and family lifestyle characteristics were 
conducted as a part of the introduction to the semi-structured interview (written con-
sent of participation by parents). Specific questions in the questionnaire referred to 
the insights about perceived factors influencing PA or active outdoor leisure time of 
a child in the domains of i) time management (lack of time for PA because of other, 
more important, tasks); ii) personal factors (mother’s and child’s health status or 
well-being), iii) social factors (low financial or material status), and iv) physical and 
environmental factors (limited accessibility to sports facilities, low physical-enviro-
nmental possibilities to execute PA and disadvantageous weather conditions). 

The interviews mostly took places in families’ homes or favorite places (quiet 
cafés, coffee shops and patisseries with gardens, etc.) and were transcribed from the 
recordings. The average time of the interview was 20.3 minutes (±6.22 minutes). 
Topics of the semi-structured interviews were related to: i) family everyday life and 
the spending of leisure time together, including on weekends and during holidays 
(description of the typical day during the week, weekend and holidays); ii) imple-
mentation of the health-oriented practices in the family (nutrition, physical activity, 
hygiene) as an insight into the replication of the imperatives of “intensive maternity”; 



88

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

iii) parental support (information on the support that parents provide their children in 
physical activity); iv) retrospective of parents’ childhood - with focus on PA as deter-
minants of a healthy lifestyle. Data were thematically coded to identify convergences 
according to the research topic. For the purpose of the research question, we analyzed 
only the first topic regarding the families’ everyday lives in the domain of leisure time 
(afternoon, weekends and holidays). 

Data analysis - Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed with the 
statistical program IMB SPSS, version 24, and descriptive analysis were carried out. 
Additionally, the frequency analyses and means (z-values) of elementary motor pat-
terns assignments2 was added as motor efficiency (ME) and the sample of children 
was divided into four groups: the group of the most motor efficient children – group 
1 (G1), two groups of children with average motor efficiency – group 2 (G2) and 3 
(G3), and the group of children with lowest motor efficiency – group 4 (G4). The 
analysis of mean values and frequency distributions of individual variables within 
groups (using the descriptive method), the One-way ANOVA test, and an additional 
post hoc test were performed for all four groups separately.

Table 1 Groups: children divided regarding the level of motor efficiency.

 n % Group 1 
(G1) % Group 2 

(G2) % Group 3 
(G3) % Group 4 

(G4) %

Boys 26 48.1 7 70 5 45.5 5 33.3 9 50

Girls 28 51.9 3 30 6 54.5 10 66.7 9 50

Total 54 100 10 100 11 100.0 15 100.0 18 100
 

2  For the monitoring of Elemental Movement Patterns (EGVs) and motor skills several test batter-
ies are used (Movement assessment Battery for Children (Sugden & Henderson et al., 2007); Gross 
Motor Development Test (Ulrich, 2000); Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Proficiency Test (Bruininks & 
Bruininks, 2005) and others. Due to the specific and complex objectives in the project the Institute for 
Kinesiology Research prepared its own battery of motion tests and validated the scale of the confor-
mity assessment of the EGV implementation. This was based on qualitative and quantitative analysis 
and performance evaluation and consisted of 9 different tests: quantitative and qualitative parameters 
of walking and running, climbing and crawling, and a counter movement jump on a tensiometer plate.



ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

89

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

RESULTS

Results from the questionnaire showed reasons for the distraction or inhibition 
on the part of mothers from spending active leisure outdoor time with their children 
were: weather conditions (27.8 %) and lack of time (27.8 %), followed by spatial 
conditions (16.7 %) and limited accessibility to sports facilities (16.7 %); and less 
frequently cited were the mother’s and child’s current well-being (13.0 %). Finan-
ces and general mother’s health status (7.4 %) were not shown as a limiting factor, 
while general child’s health status (5.6 %) had the lowest impact from the mother’s 
perspective (see Figure 1). 

Figure 1: Factors of distracting mothers from spending active outdoor leisure with a 
child.

The “lack of time” as one of the most common reasons was mentioned in mothers’ 
statements from the semi-structured interviews and reflected the perception of lack of 
time as an imperative of the work-family conflict. 



90

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

“… / Even in the afternoons, the days are so short … There’s no time; there’s no 
‘me time,’ of course, but there’s not even enough time to be spent with the child.” 
(mother of a boy from G4, 29 years, secondary education)

“Weekends are the worst, as there are various household chores breaking up the 
day … like tidying up, cleaning, other things /… / I’d like to go on a day trip to see 
something. You know, to have Sundays to ourselves and spend them actively, now 
that they (children – author’s note) are bigger, by bike or maybe to go on a hike.” 
(mother of a boy from G4, 37 years, higher education diploma) 

There was an interesting answer that one mother gave to the question what she 
would do if she could: 

“ …  If I could make a choice, I would be a homemaker, take my child to kinder-
garten, then clean the house and make lunch and pick him (the child – author’s 
note) up from the kindergarten. Then I would smile all afternoon. Yes, if I could 
make that choice, I would be like that /.../ If I had two hours in the afternoon, I 
would go with my child for a walk with no hurry. /…/ My ‘dream’ weekend, yes 
(laughs), a housekeeper who cleaned everything for me … it would be nice to 
find everything cleaned when you return home from a trip or outdoor activities.” 
(mother of a boy from G4, 43 years, secondary education).

Additionally, questionnaire data were compared with children’s motor efficiency 
by dividing the sample into four groups (G1, G2, G3, G4) and additional frequency 
analyses. Assuming that the differences of distracting factors will be shown betwe-
en most motor efficient and less motor efficient children, we compared answers of 
mothers of children in groups G1 (n=10) and G4 (n=18). The analysis was made de-
spite the differences in the number of children, since families’ characteristics showed 
no statistical differences between both groups. 

Data showed that “lack of time” was higher in G4 (38.9 %, i.e., 7 mothers) than 
in G1 (20 %, i.e., only 2 mothers). “Spatial conditions for active outdoor PA” was 
also a higher factor in G4 (22.2 %, i.e., 4 mothers) in comparison to G1 (10 %, i.e., 
only 1 mother), while “weather conditions” were comparable in both groups G1 (30 
%, i.e., 3 mothers) and G4 (22 %, i.e., 4 mothers). Interestingly, mothers of the most 
efficient children reported higher percentages of mothers and children momentarily 
feeling unwell (G1 20 % vs. G4 5.6 %, and G1 30 % vs. G4 5.6 %) as a factor for not 
spending active outdoor leisure time. Despite the fact that finances were not the main 
factor, 11.2 % or 3 mothers from G4 still named financial means as a reason why they 
were not active outdoors, while in G1 this was not mentioned (see Figure 2). 

Further analyses of questionnaire data in the domain of family characteristics 
confirmed that living conditions of families could have an impact on spending active 
outdoor leisure time. Environmental factors are cited as important determinants of 
the amount of PA (Sallis et al., 2000; Hayley et al., 2017); therefore the living condi-



ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

91

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

Figure 2: Factors of active outdoor leisure of children from G1 and G4.



92

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

tions of the families were investigated. We found some important differences where 
more motor efficient children mostly lived in a house with a yard (2/3 of children of 
G1) in suburbs or villages, while 50 % of less motor efficient children (G4) lived in a 
block of flats in towns, where free outdoor play is limited. 

“… In the afternoons, I pick her (daughter – author’s note) up from the kinder-
garten and then it depends: if the weather is nice, we stay a little longer in the 
kindergarten courtyard, where the girl swings, climbs the houses, or we wait for 
another friend to go home together. I prepare lunch at home while my daughter 
stays outside in the yard or plays in the house. When Dad comes from work, we 
eat lunch together and then decide what we will do in the afternoon, whether we 
will go out or just stay at home, depending on the day.” (mother of a girl from G1, 
31 years, secondary education)

However, mothers of children from G4 reported fewer outdoor possibilities as 
“the place where a child mostly spent his/her leisure time” in 44.4 % was the garden 
or house yard (vs. G1 80 %) and playground (G4 22.2 % vs. G1 20 %). Additionally, 
children from G4 also combined playground or house yard with indoor play in apart-
ment or room (22.2 %), with the exception of a boy from G4 who mostly spent his 
leisure time in his room. 

An additional look at family socio-demographic characteristics could explain the 
possible impact of spending family leisure in connection to the level of child motor 
efficiency. The gender difference among the group G1 and G4 was in favor of boys 
in the most motor efficient (G1 60 %) and the less motor efficient group (G4) to girls 
(57 %), which could be explained by physiological characteristics of the child’s de-
velopment. Besides that, it also confirmed the role sport plays in a society where boys 
are more encouraged to engage in sports and other physical activities. The mean body 
mass index (BMI) of children from G1 and G4, as well as in other groups (G2 and 
G3) did not differ (p = 0.202). Interestingly, from the point of family characteristics, 
in a group of the most efficient children (G1) there were more children coming from 
“small” families with one or two children, or only children (40 %). Further, 2/3rds 
of them were first-borns, while a greater share of second-born children from families 
with more children (55 %) were found in G4. This could be explained as caused by 
the impact of increased parental attention given to the single or first-born child due to 
the phenomenon of “intensive parenting.” 

We compared demographic and SES characteristics of parents of children from 
G1 and G4 to assess their possible influence on spending leisure time. There were 
no significant differences in age between the groups: fathers’ mean age was 33.8 ± 
4.6 years, while the average mothers’ age was 35.7±5.18 years. Secondary education 
and vocational education were dominant in all groups, also reflected in the parent’s 
classification of their family in the middle class (G4 75 % vs. G1 46 %) and in the 
upper middle class (G4 15 % vs. G1 45 %). From the aspect of family income (per 
family member) we also found lower income for families of children from G4 (33%) 



ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

93

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

with less than € 500 /member/month, while all other groups reported income between 
€ 801 and € 1,500 per member, indicating a lower economic status for G4. That could 
be explained by a higher proportion of unemployed parents in G4 (15 %) leading 
to fewer resources and possibilities for more active leisure time. Low financial and 
material status as an obstacle to not spending active weekends and holidays were also 
reported. 

“Winter and summer holidays are practically like weekends, we stay at home, 
well, sometimes we go somewhere for a day. In the summer, though, yes, my dau-
ghter and I are going to the beach alone. Since our daughter was born we haven’t 
been on holidays yet. Yes, it would be ideal for me to go on holidays, now this is 
primarily impossible because of finances and my husband’s work.” (mother of a 
girl from G4, 41 years, secondary education)

From the point of family support to child’s PA, interviews showed that mothers 
are the main motivators  (2/3) for a child to learn a new sport (rollerblading, cycling, 
skiing, swimming), but in most cases, especially when they do not have their own 
sports history, they leave the teaching of new sports to the fathers (60 %) or profes-
sionals.

“… Otherwise, the initiative comes from me because I spend more time with the 
children, usually the father comes along and also the older sister, and then we 
agree on how we will carry it out […], e.g., when skiing, we both tried to do it and 
then we saw that it was best if experts do it and we enrolled him in ski school […]. 
It went faster. (mother of a boy from G1, 37 years, college degree)

DISCUSSION 

Mothers’ spending active outdoor leisure time with children is closely connected 
with family characteristics and possibilities (personal, social, and environmental fac-
tors) to overcome the most commonly noted barriers that distract them from engaging 
in active outdoor leisure time with a child. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis 
of the presented sample showed that being a girl, coming from a family with more 
siblings, living in a flat in the city, occasionally feeling unwell or tired, with a mother 
who works two shifts, a father who is working late and sometimes on weekends, with 
parents without a sports history, a weak social network (relatives support), and low 
financial status, all are more likely to be at risk of lower motor efficiency beginning 
in childhood. On the other hand, our limited study suggests that lower levels of motor 
efficiency (G4) generally correspond to less time spent on leisure activities. In addi-
tion, parental work commitments (seasonal work or self-employment) are mostly re-
flected as “lack of time” for outdoor leisure, which in turn reflects in the WFC. Also, 
the study showed that social network (kinship) plays an important role as children 



94

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

can spend their afternoons, weekends, and even holidays more actively with gran-
dparents or other relatives when parents have to work. The results have proved that 
spending time outdoor PA depends on parental time (mostly provided by mothers) as 
time “free from economic necessity.” At the same time, we would like to point out the 
problem of mothers’ perceived lower sport competence, which was indicated as “not 
trusting themselves to teach the child a new sport,” which was not only a result of the 
mother’s sport history but was more evident also in G4 children. 

CONCLUSION 

To conclude, families with children of the highest motor scores (G1) most like-
ly spend afternoons and weekends more actively (trips, hikes, walks) than families 
with lower motor effective children (G4), who more often practice visits, shopping 
and rest as leisure time activities.  Regarding the work-family conflict (WFC) issue 
we perceived higher maternal work engagement (double-shift or nightshift work) 
in families with lower motor efficiency children (G4) and a higher number of “wor-
king late fathers” (40 %). In such cases, childcare is not equally divided between the 
mother and the father, with fathers also more frequently relying on the involvement 
of relatives (grandmothers, mothers-in-law, sisters and other female relatives) in the 
care of the children. This confirms the Slovenian example of the transfer of family 
work (assistance in the care of children) into the sphere of unpaid work (kinship and 
friendship networks) and paid work (cleaning women and nannies). On the other 
hand, the study pointed out that children in the most motor effective group more often 
spent outdoor leisure time with both parents, had active winter and summer holidays 
and lived in a house with a yard. Additionally, the problem of mothers juggling work 
and family is clear (Bettio et al., 2014). The problem mirrored in this research is that 
insufficient and inactive spending of family leisure time is mostly the result of fa-
mily-work conflict (resulting in “lack of time for outdoor activities”) where mothers 
often ended up in dissatisfaction, fatigue, suffering stress. 

We could also point to other important factors that can help solve that problem 
by providing socio-environmental factors in the local community (kinship networks, 
safe and suitable areas for children to play independently). Environmental factors 
(weather, facilities and accessibility for PA) play an important role regarding the ac-
tive leisure behavior of a family. Because it is hard to change, for example, facilities 
in a short time without local support, we need to pay attention to other personal and 
social factors and help underprivileged families (mothers, low income, single pa-
rents) to be able to live more active outdoor leisure time. Due to the several positive 
aspects of active leisure time behavior, the goal of state and local policy should not 
only be to provide physical and environmental facilities for PA, but also to enhance 
initiatives promoting and living physically active leisure as incorporated daily “fa-
mily” behavior. 



ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

95

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

Figure 3: The determinants of family active outdoor leisure time (Pišot, 2018).

Acknowledgement

Thanks to the colleagues of the Institute for Kinesiology Research at Science 
and Research Centre, partner institutions for their contribution to the project. We are 
especially grateful to the parents and children who participated in the study. 

REFERENCES 

Andersen, L. B., Mota, J., & Di Pietro, L. (2016). Update on the global pandemic 
of physical inactivity. Lancet (London, England), 388(10051), 1255. https://doi.
org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30960-6.

Arundell, L., Parker, K., Salmon, J., Veitch, J., & Timperio, A. (2019). Informing be-
haviour change: what sedentary behaviours do families perform at home and how can 
they be targeted? International journal of environmental research and public health, 
16(22), 4565. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224565.

Bettio, F., Plantenga, J., & Smith, M. (Eds.). (2014). Gender and the European labour 
market. London: Routledge. 

Bianchi, S., Sayer, L., Milkie, M., & Robinson, J. (2012). Housework: who did, does 
or will do it, and how much does it matter? Social Forces, 91(1), 55–63. https://doi.
org/10.1093/sf/sos120.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30960-6
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30960-6
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224565
https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sos120
https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sos120


96

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

Biddle, S. J. H., & Asare, M. (2011). Physical activity and mental health in children 
and adolescents: a review of reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(11), 
886–895. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185.

Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory 
and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenwood 
Press.

Bouchard, C. (1996). Genetic epidemiology, association, and sib-pair linkage: results 
from the Québec Family Study. In G. A. Bray, & D. H. Ryan (Eds.) Molecular and 
genetic aspects of obesity (pp. 470–481).

Bruininks, R. H., & Bruininks, B. D. (2005). BOT2: Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor 
proficiency. AGS Publishing.

Dietz, W. H. (1998). Health consequences of obesity in youth: childhood predictors of 
adult disease. Pediatrics, 101(Supp. 2), 518–525. 

Dowda, M., Pfeiffer, K. A., Brown, W. H., Mitchell, J. A., Byun, W., & Pate, R. R. 
(2011). Parental and environmental correlates of physical activity of children attend-
ing preschool. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 165(10), 939–944. 
https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.84.

Gordon-Larsen, P., McMurray, R. G., & Popkin, B. M. (2000). Determinants of ado-
lescent physical activity and inactivity patterns. Pediatrics, 105(6), e83–e83. https://
doi.org/10.1542/peds.105.6.e83.

Janssen, I., & LeBlanc, A. G. (2010). Systematic review of the health benefits of physi-
cal activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. International Journal of 
Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-
5868-7-40.

Kamin, T., & Tivadar, B. (2011). Kapital(i) in zdravje [Capital and health]. Teorija in prak-
sa, 48(4). 1028–1047. Retrieved from http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-
Q0LMSGQI.

Kerr, J., Rosenberg, D., Sallis, J. F., Saelens, B. E., Frank, L. D., & Conway, T. L. 
(2006). Active commuting to school: associations with environment and parental 
concerns. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 38(4), 787–793. https://doi.
org/10.1249/01.mss.0000210208.63565.73.

Lewis, S., & Lewis, J. (Eds.). (1996). The Work-Family Challenge: Rethinking Employ-
ment. London: Sage Publications.

Mutrie, N., & Parfitt, G. (1998). Physical activity and its link with mental, social and 
moral health in young people. Young and active, 49–68.

OECD (2001). Shaping Structural Change: The Role of Women; Organization for Eco-
nomic Co-operation and Development. Paris, France.

Owen, N., Salmon, J., Koohsari, M. J., Turrell, G., & Giles-Corti, B. (2014). Sed-
entary behaviour and health: mapping environmental and social contexts to under-
pin chronic disease prevention. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(3), 174–177. 
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-093107.

Pišot, S. (2018). Gibalna/športna aktivnost kot determinanta “zdravega” življenjskega 
sloga družine in otrokovega telesnega kapitala [Physical Activity as a Determinant of 
a »Healthy« Family Lifestyle and a Child’s Physical (Body) Capital] (Doctoral thesis. 
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Science). Retrieved from http://dk.fdv.uni-
lj.si/doktorska_dela/pdfs/dr_pisot-sasa.pdf.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185
https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.84
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.105.6.e83
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.105.6.e83
https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-40
https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-40
http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-Q0LMSGQI
http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-Q0LMSGQI
https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000210208.63565.73
https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000210208.63565.73
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-093107
http://dk.fdv.uni-lj.si/doktorska_dela/pdfs/dr_pisot-sasa.pdf
http://dk.fdv.uni-lj.si/doktorska_dela/pdfs/dr_pisot-sasa.pdf


ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 11 • 2020 • 2

97

Saša PIŠOT: MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE OF MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME FOR A PRESCHOOL CHILD, 83–97

Remery, C., & Schippers, J. (2019). Work-family conflict in the European Union: the 
impact of organizational and public facilities. International Journal of Environmental 
Research and Public Health, 16(22), 4419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224419.

Rener, T. (2006). Odraščati v družinah [Growing up in families]. In T. Rener, M. Sedmak, 
A. Švab & M. Urek (Eds.) Družine in družinsko življenje v Sloveniji [Families and 
family life in Slovenia]. 89–126. Koper: Založba Annales.

Rener, T., Humer, Ž., Žakelj, T., Vezovnik, A., & Švab, A. (2008). Novo očetovstvo 
v Sloveniji [New fatherhood in Slovenia]. Ljubljana: Fakulteta za družbene vede, 
Založba FDV.

Sugden, D., & Henderson, S. (2007). Movement assessment battery for children.
Saelens, B. E., Sallis, J. F., Black, J. B., & Chen, D. (2003). Neighborhood-based dif-

ferences in physical activity: an environment scale evaluation. American journal of 
public health, 93(9), 1552–1558. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1552.

Ulrich, D. (2000). Test of gross motor development: second edition. Austin, TX: PRO-
ED.

Telama, R., Yang, X., Laakso, L., & Viikari, J. (1997). Physical activity in child-
hood and adolescence as predictor of physical activity in young adulthood. Ameri-
can Journal of Preventive Medicine, 13(4), 317–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-
3797(18)30182-X.

Thompson, A. M., Rehman, L. A., & Humbert, M. L. (2005). Factors influencing the 
physically active leisure of children and youth: a qualitative study. Leisure Sciences, 
27(5), 421-438. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400500227324. 

Trost, S. G., Sallis, J. F., Pate, R. R., Freedson, P. S., Taylor, W. C. & Dowda, M. 
(2003). Evaluating a model of parental influence on youth physical activity. Ameri-
can Journal of Preventive Medicine, 25(4), 277–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-
3797(03)00217-4.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224419
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1552
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(18)30182-X
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(18)30182-X
https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400500227324
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(03)00217-4
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(03)00217-4

	_Hlk40898474
	_Hlk34144101
	_Hlk40871331
	_Hlk53505499
	_Hlk33786872
	_Hlk25864445
	_Hlk38187602
	_Hlk71096081

