Family Time Guide

Visualizing the precious moments spent with your children

A tool that visualizes the time parents spend with their children throughout their parenting journey. The algorithm takes into account various real-world factors to provide a realistic estimation of daily hours spent with children, showing both weekday and weekend patterns on a yearly basis.

Features

• Yearly Timeline: Shows time spent with children from two years before first child's birth through 20 years after last child's birth
• Weekday/Weekend Split: Separate calculations for weekday and weekend hours to reflect different schedules
• Multiple Children: Accounts for overlapping time and shared activities with multiple children
• Work Pattern Support: Accommodates various work arrangements from stay-at-home to flexible schedules
• Shareable Results: Results can be shared via URL, preserving all input data

Branding

The Family Time Guide uses a simple, clean design featuring a book with an information icon, symbolizing both the educational journey of parenting and the guidance this tool provides. The mint green color scheme (#4FD1C5) represents growth, harmony, and the fresh perspective this tool brings to understanding family time.

How It Works

Time Calculation Factors

The algorithm considers several key factors that influence the time spent with children:

Parent Variables

• Work Hours: Varies by parent type
  • Stay at Home: 0 hours
  • Full Time Work: 9 hours (including 1 hour lunch)
  • Part Time Work: 5 hours
  • Remote Full Time: 8 hours
  • Remote Part Time: 4 hours
  • Flexible: 6 hours
• Commute Time: Varies by work type
  • Stay at Home: 0 hours
  • Full Time Work: 1.5 hours
  • Part Time Work: 1.5 hours
  • Remote Work: 0 hours
  • Flexible: 0.5 hours
• Parent Sleep Hours: Adjusts based on youngest child's age
  • Newborn (0): 6 hours
  • Age 1: 6.5 hours
  • Age 2: 7 hours
  • Age 3: 7.5 hours
  • Age 4+: 8 hours
• Essential Activities: 1.5 hours daily for basic needs (2 hours on weekends)

Child Variables

• Age-Based Sleep Needs:
  • Newborn (0): 16 hours
  • Age 1: 14 hours
  • Ages 2-4: 12 hours
  • Ages 5-6: 11 hours
  • Ages 7-12: 10 hours
  • Ages 13-17: 9 hours
  • Age 18+: 8 hours

Developmental Stages

• Infancy (0-1 years): Newborns and young babies
• Toddler (1-3 years): Early walking and talking phase
• Early Childhood (3-6 years): Preschool and kindergarten years
• Middle Childhood (6-12 years): Elementary school years
• Adolescence (12-18 years): Teen years through high school
• Adulthood (18+ years): Young adults

Schooling Stages

• PreSchool (0-3 years): Pre-preschool and daycare age
• Kindergarten (3-6 years): Preschool and kindergarten
• Elementary (6-12 years): Elementary school years
• Middle School (12-15 years): Middle school/junior high
• High School (15-18 years): High school years
• Post High School (18+ years): College and beyond

Time Categories

The algorithm calculates active interaction time based on several factors:

Base Active Hours by Age Group

• Infancy: 12 hours
• Toddler: 11 hours
• Early Childhood: 8 hours
• Middle Childhood: 6 hours
• Adolescence: 4 hours
• Adulthood: 0 hours (18+ years)

Parental Leave Period

• Based on child's wake hours and parent's available time
• Gradual ramp-up during first month
• Smooth transition back to regular schedule in final months

Daycare Adjustments

When daycare is used (ages 1-6):

• Stay-at-home Parents:
  • Infancy: 7 hours
  • Toddler: 6 hours
  • Early Childhood: 5 hours
• Working Parents:
  • Infancy: 5 hours (morning + evening routines)
  • Toddler: 4.5 hours
  • Early Childhood: 4 hours

Multiple Children Adjustments

For each additional child:

• Young children (infants/toddlers): 40% reduction in individual time
• Older children: 50% reduction in individual time
• No minimum cap (reductions can go up to 100%)

Examples:

• Second child gets 60% (infants) or 50% (older) of base hours
• Third child gets 20% (infants) or 0% (older) of base hours
• Fourth+ children effectively get 0 hours due to 100%+ reduction

This models the reality that:

• Each additional child significantly reduces individual attention time
• Younger children maintain more individual time than older ones
• Beyond three children, direct individual time becomes minimal

Age Transitions

The algorithm includes smooth transitions:

• Between parental leave and regular schedule
• Between age groups (e.g., infancy to toddler)
• Adjusts for first month after birth

The visualization shows how these factors combine to create a realistic picture of parenting time throughout the years, accounting for both regular patterns and major transitions in children's lives.