51% of parents said bedtimes were an area their kids dictate; with 37% saying their children have control over the TV in the living room and a quarter saying their kids dictate what they eat for dinner.
2,416 British adults took part, with an eighth of them saying they retreat to their bedrooms when the kids take over.
Speaking on whether this matters and how Christians can be Biblical parents, Caroline Bradley from Christian group Care for the Family spoke to Premier.
She said she wasn't surprised by the findings but that: "it really matters as Christian parents how we shape our children...we're raising independent adults, not children and bedtimes is just one those things parents need to think about!"
When asked what the Biblical model for parenting is, Caroline Bradley said: "Right from the beginning (of the Bible) to Revelation, it talks about us as parents in the book of Proverbs about how we should train up our children and Deuteronomy reminds us that we should teach them God's commands and he wants us to shape who they as people and that they love God. "
She added: "He also reminds us that as parents we're not to provoke our children."
All respondents were asked "Are there any aspects of home life that you feel your child dictates?"
When provided with a list of responses and asked to select all those they felt applied to their family, the most common areas children dictate were revealed as:
- Bedtimes - 51%
- They have control over the TV in the living room - 37%
- The morning routine, if they're up and ready or not - 32%
- They choose what we eat for dinner most days - 24%
- Our social plans, if they're misbehaving we won't go out as planned - 20%
Describing that there is not only grace in forgiving children but also parents, Caroline Bradley explained: "I think it's really important that parents always remember that they've always got prayer."
"We love to tell parents that they don't have to be perfect parents, none of us can be perfect but we can be the best that we can and so we really encourage parents to be willing to reach out to others and learn from others and explore ideas in other places."
Listen here Caroline Bradley's full interview with Premier's Cara Bentley:
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