When do Americans care for children and others?
On an average weekday, the share of Americans caring for others peaks at 7:30 PM, when 5.4% of people age 15 and older (about 13.6 million) are caring for others. On weekends it peaks at 8:00 PM (4.4%). Averaged over all days, Americans spend 35 min a day caring for others.
See caring for others minute by minute ↗
Caring for others by hour
Share and number of Americans caring for others at the top of each hour.
| Time | Weekdays | People | Weekends | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM | 0.3% | 832,000 | 0.4% | 987,000 |
| 1 AM | 0.2% | 612,000 | 0.3% | 680,000 |
| 2 AM | 0.2% | 624,000 | 0.2% | 625,000 |
| 3 AM | 0.3% | 633,000 | 0.3% | 630,000 |
| 4 AM | 0.5% | 1.2 million | 0.4% | 1.0 million |
| 5 AM | 0.5% | 1.2 million | 0.3% | 708,000 |
| 6 AM | 1.8% | 4.6 million | 0.6% | 1.6 million |
| 7 AM | 3.8% | 9.5 million | 1.5% | 3.8 million |
| 8 AM | 3.1% | 7.9 million | 2.6% | 6.6 million |
| 9 AM | 2.6% | 6.6 million | 3.5% | 8.8 million |
| 10 AM | 2.7% | 6.7 million | 3.8% | 9.5 million |
| 11 AM | 2.7% | 6.7 million | 3.8% | 9.6 million |
| 12 PM | 2.5% | 6.2 million | 3.6% | 8.9 million |
| 1 PM | 2.5% | 6.4 million | 3.7% | 9.3 million |
| 2 PM | 2.8% | 7.1 million | 3.8% | 9.5 million |
| 3 PM | 3.7% | 9.4 million | 3.8% | 9.7 million |
| 4 PM | 4.3% | 10.7 million | 3.9% | 9.9 million |
| 5 PM | 4.2% | 10.4 million | 3.6% | 9.0 million |
| 6 PM | 4.3% | 10.9 million | 3.3% | 8.4 million |
| 7 PM | 5.1% | 12.8 million | 3.9% | 9.9 million |
| 8 PM | 5.2% | 13.1 million | 4.4% | 11.0 million |
| 9 PM | 3.6% | 9.2 million | 3.3% | 8.3 million |
| 10 PM | 1.7% | 4.2 million | 1.6% | 3.9 million |
| 11 PM | 0.7% | 1.7 million | 0.7% | 1.8 million |
What it includes
Average time per weekday, for the activities in this group that take the most time.
- Physical care for household children: 9 min a day
- Playing with household children, not sports: 5 min a day
- Homework (household children): 2 min a day
- Playing with nonhousehold children, not sports: 1 min a day
- Looking after household children (as a primary activity): 1 min a day
- Picking up/dropping off household children: 1 min a day
- Talking with/listening to household children: 1 min a day
More
- When do Americans sleep?
- When do Americans work?
- When do Americans relax and socialize?
- When do Americans do housework and chores?
- When do Americans eat?
- When are Americans driving?
- When do Americans shower, groom, and get ready?
- When do Americans study and go to class?
- When do Americans go shopping?
- When do Americans exercise?
- When are Americans on the move (not driving)?
- When do Americans attend religious services?
- When do Americans volunteer?
- When do Americans do civic duties?
- When do Americans make calls and send messages?
About these numbers
Estimates come from all 258,954 diaries in the American Time Use Survey (Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau), 2003–2025, weighted to the U.S. civilian population age 15 and older and pooled across years. Times are local clock time. Counts are people on an average day of that type, not a live count. Weekdays are Monday–Friday. How the estimates work.