This paper examines how family structure and parental characteristics shape parental investments in children, focusing on quality time and participation in extracurricular activities. Using data from the Determinants of Educational Decisions (UDE) panel survey in Poland, we construct a parental investment index (PII) for children aged 1–15 and analyze its determinants alongside patterns of extracurricular activity (ECA) participation. We find systematic differences by child gender and birth order: girls and first-borns receive significantly more parental quality time, although the advantage of first-borns is stronger for boys than girls. Family size reduces investment, particularly for later-born children, while only-child status has weaker effects. Parental education, cultural capital (proxied by the number of books in the household), and strong family ties in the parents’ childhood are consistently associated with higher investments, especially in early childhood. Children’s participation in ECAs reflects both parental background and gendered expectations, with girls more engaged in arts and boys in sports. Our findings highlight the joint importance of family composition, socioeconomic resources, and cultural norms in shaping parental strategies of investment in children’s human capital.
