STAMFORD, Conn., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids and parents are talking to one another much more, and about far more serious issues than "what's for dinner?" Parents and kids are doing more together, talking more often, and talking about tougher issues. In sum, 59% of mothers surveyed said there's much less of a generation gap today than existed a mere generation ago.

Study results were premiered recently at the national "KidPower" conference in Orlando.

"We probed the parent-child relationship from a wide range of angles, just as we always do," says George Carey, "and every signal points to parents and their kids being far closer and more like peers today than the parents we studied were with their own parents.

" Carey is founder and CEO of Just Kid Inc., the leading research, strategy and new product firm focused solely on kids 2-12.

"A dramatically different parent-child relationship is emerging," says Carey. The study found parents discussing far more difficult issues with their kids than they ever discussed with their own parents. 51% of parents said they listen to their children more than their parents did, while 53% said they also spend more time talking to their children.

When they talk, the subjects are more serious. 91% discuss personal safety issues; 89% talk about nutritious foods; 87% talk about dangerous behaviors like drug use and nearly as many talk about sex and religion -- all a long way from "how was your day at school?"

At the same time, 57% of the parents studied say they're more involved in their kids' school than their parents were, and half say they are more involved in kids' sports and after-school activities than their parents. Interestingly, 78% of Hispanic parents say they are more involved in their kids' school than their parents were with theirs.

The project unearthed several intriguing marketing insights:

-- 82% want to see more products and services designed for the whole family to enjoy

-- 80% want to find more fun things to do together as a family

-- 93% of parents have specific TV shows they enjoy watching with their kids. Most popular for kid/parent togetherness: "American Idol"

Parents and kids are drawing much closer as a result of all this togetherness. 70% of mothers studied call their daughters their "best friend." While it wasn't probed specifically, consultation with kids on things like meals and bedtimes may make mom and dad candidates for the child's "best friend" list, as well.

The Just Kid study researched 499 mothers of kids age 5-14, a nationally representative sample, in early May. Data was weighted by age, gender and ethnicity of offspring.

Source: Just Kid Inc.