【Survey of 1,000 Junior and Senior High School Students and Parents】'Tidied Uniforms' Compensate for Decreased Parent-Child Conversation! What is the 'Unspoken Love' Parents Feel?
Tombow Co., Ltd. conducted a survey of 1,024 junior and senior high school students and their parents, revealing that 'tidied uniforms' serve as a crucial means for parents to convey unspoken love and understand their children's school life amidst decreasing parent-child conversations.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 05:14 (18h 42m after Collected)
Tombow Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 2-2-9 Kosei-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Tatsuya Fujiwara) conducted a survey on the "New Significance of School Uniforms" targeting (1) junior and senior high school students and (2) their parents.
Parent-child communication within the home naturally changes as children grow. Many parents may feel lonely as dialogue with their junior and senior high school children decreases due to busy daily lives and rebellious phases. However, perhaps interactions through "a single uniform," such as daily ironing and resizing due to growth, serve as a communication tool that fosters bonds beyond words.
Therefore, Tombow Co., Ltd. (https://www.tombow.gr.jp/) conducted a survey on the "New Significance of School Uniforms" targeting (1) junior and senior high school students and (2) their parents.
Survey Outline: Survey on the "New Significance of School Uniforms"
[Survey Period] March 12 (Thursday), 2026 – March 16 (Monday), 2026
[Survey Method] Internet survey by PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press)
[Number of Respondents] 1,024 people (514 junior/senior high school students / 510 parents)
[Target Audience] Monitors who responded as (1) junior/senior high school students or (2) parents of junior/senior high school students at the time of the survey.
[Survey Source] Tombow Co., Ltd. (https://www.tombow.gr.jp/)
Decreased parent-child conversation due to growth: More parents of high school students feel it than parents of junior high school students!
First, we asked junior and senior high school students and their parents about their perception of parent-child conversation opportunities.
When asked, "Do you feel that opportunities for parent-child conversation and the amount of conversation have decreased compared to when your child was in elementary school?", the results were as follows:
52.4% of junior high school parents and 58.7% of high school parents reported a decrease in conversation. The fact that more high school parents feel this suggests that the decrease in conversation is perceived as children grow. As junior and senior high school students become busy with club activities and friendships, spending less time at home or eating with family, parents may view the decrease in conversation as a natural part of the growth process.
"They're working hard in club activities..." Over half of parents recall school life through "uniform care."
So, in a growth period where opportunities and amount of conversation tend to decrease, how do parents try to ascertain their children's well-being even without much direct conversation?
When junior and senior high school students were asked, "Do you ever feel grateful when your parents clean and iron your uniform nicely?", the results were as follows:
■ Junior High School Students
'Very much so (22.1%)'
'Somewhat (37.2%)'
■ High School Students
'Very much so (34.4%)'
'Somewhat (42.3%)'
It was found that high school students feel more grateful for uniform care than junior high school students. Even if, as revealed in the previous question, there are fewer opportunities to communicate verbally, parents' feelings may still be conveyed to their children through tidied uniforms.
■ Summary
This survey revealed that uniforms serve as one of the clues for understanding children's well-being within the home.
Firstly, the percentage of parents who felt that "opportunities for parent-child conversation and the amount of conversation have decreased" compared to elementary school was higher than that of children. This difference in perception may reflect the distance in the junior and senior high school period when independence grows.
Furthermore, more parents of high school students felt a decrease in conversation than parents of junior high school students, suggesting that high school students have a busier school life.
Also, while parent-child conversation tended to decrease, parents showed a tendency to try to grasp their children's situation through uniforms. Over half of junior and senior high school parents have experienced imagining their child's school life through "dirt, wrinkles, and fraying" found during uniform washing and ironing. The condition of the uniform worn daily seems to be a means for parents to imagine their child's school life.
On the other hand, many junior and senior high school students feel grateful for uniform care, with about 60% of junior high school students and about 80% of high school students expressing gratitude, and this feeling tends to increase with age. It seems that parents' love is conveyed through uniforms.
From these results, it is possible that for junior and senior high school families, uniforms are an "item for watching over children's activities" for parents, and an "item for children to feel parental support and love." Precisely because it is a period when conversation tends to decrease, uniforms seem to be an opportunity for parents and children to feel connected.
Parent-child communication within the home naturally changes as children grow. Many parents may feel lonely as dialogue with their junior and senior high school children decreases due to busy daily lives and rebellious phases. However, perhaps interactions through "a single uniform," such as daily ironing and resizing due to growth, serve as a communication tool that fosters bonds beyond words.
Therefore, Tombow Co., Ltd. (https://www.tombow.gr.jp/) conducted a survey on the "New Significance of School Uniforms" targeting (1) junior and senior high school students and (2) their parents.
Survey Outline: Survey on the "New Significance of School Uniforms"
[Survey Period] March 12 (Thursday), 2026 – March 16 (Monday), 2026
[Survey Method] Internet survey by PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press)
[Number of Respondents] 1,024 people (514 junior/senior high school students / 510 parents)
[Target Audience] Monitors who responded as (1) junior/senior high school students or (2) parents of junior/senior high school students at the time of the survey.
[Survey Source] Tombow Co., Ltd. (https://www.tombow.gr.jp/)
Decreased parent-child conversation due to growth: More parents of high school students feel it than parents of junior high school students!
First, we asked junior and senior high school students and their parents about their perception of parent-child conversation opportunities.
When asked, "Do you feel that opportunities for parent-child conversation and the amount of conversation have decreased compared to when your child was in elementary school?", the results were as follows:
52.4% of junior high school parents and 58.7% of high school parents reported a decrease in conversation. The fact that more high school parents feel this suggests that the decrease in conversation is perceived as children grow. As junior and senior high school students become busy with club activities and friendships, spending less time at home or eating with family, parents may view the decrease in conversation as a natural part of the growth process.
"They're working hard in club activities..." Over half of parents recall school life through "uniform care."
So, in a growth period where opportunities and amount of conversation tend to decrease, how do parents try to ascertain their children's well-being even without much direct conversation?
When junior and senior high school students were asked, "Do you ever feel grateful when your parents clean and iron your uniform nicely?", the results were as follows:
■ Junior High School Students
'Very much so (22.1%)'
'Somewhat (37.2%)'
■ High School Students
'Very much so (34.4%)'
'Somewhat (42.3%)'
It was found that high school students feel more grateful for uniform care than junior high school students. Even if, as revealed in the previous question, there are fewer opportunities to communicate verbally, parents' feelings may still be conveyed to their children through tidied uniforms.
■ Summary
This survey revealed that uniforms serve as one of the clues for understanding children's well-being within the home.
Firstly, the percentage of parents who felt that "opportunities for parent-child conversation and the amount of conversation have decreased" compared to elementary school was higher than that of children. This difference in perception may reflect the distance in the junior and senior high school period when independence grows.
Furthermore, more parents of high school students felt a decrease in conversation than parents of junior high school students, suggesting that high school students have a busier school life.
Also, while parent-child conversation tended to decrease, parents showed a tendency to try to grasp their children's situation through uniforms. Over half of junior and senior high school parents have experienced imagining their child's school life through "dirt, wrinkles, and fraying" found during uniform washing and ironing. The condition of the uniform worn daily seems to be a means for parents to imagine their child's school life.
On the other hand, many junior and senior high school students feel grateful for uniform care, with about 60% of junior high school students and about 80% of high school students expressing gratitude, and this feeling tends to increase with age. It seems that parents' love is conveyed through uniforms.
From these results, it is possible that for junior and senior high school families, uniforms are an "item for watching over children's activities" for parents, and an "item for children to feel parental support and love." Precisely because it is a period when conversation tends to decrease, uniforms seem to be an opportunity for parents and children to feel connected.