Family is considered the primary context for leisure learning (Barnett & Chick, 1986). Therefore, parents are positioned to play a key role in the development of their children’s leisure knowledge, values, and attitudes. Little is known, however, about the messages youth receive from parents about leisure. The purpose of the study was to understand, from the perspective of youth, the messages they receive from their parents about involvement in leisure and leisure activities. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews lasting approximately one hour were conducted with ten male and ten female Grade 12 students involved in school extracurricular activities at an urban high school in New Brunswick, Canada. Students from various activities (i.e., sports, student government, drama, music, yearbook, and cause-related organizations) were invited to participate. Interview transcripts were coded, data were analyzed using a constant comparison method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), and themes were developed related to the messages from parents about three roles of leisure – that leisure was as important for balance, self-development, and future opportunity. First, youth received the message from parents that being involved in leisure activities provided balance in their lives. Interestingly, mothers were more often identified as sending the “balance” message. They were cited as having expressed the importance of having activities that could serve as a break from schoolwork or employment and promote physical and mental well-being. Second, these youth received the message that leisure activities were important because of the contributions they made to the development of self. Leadership, team building, organizational, time management, and social skills were mentioned by many of the youth as critical skills their parents suggested could be acquired through participation in extracurricular activities. Third, parents had explained that involvement in leisure could create future opportunities. Participation could lead to scholarships, employment (i.e., coaching, teaching music), or leadership roles in an organization. In many cases the message was reinforced with an example, as parents’ own leisure reflected some of the suggested outcomes. Messages youth received from parents were focused on the functional aspects and positive outcomes of leisure participation. This demonstrates that youth are learning the benefits of leisure. However, the focus on purposive leisure (Shaw & Dawson, 2001) may contribute to an attitude among some youth that leisure is a means to an end, rather than viewing leisure as an activity that is enjoyable, freely chosen, or intrinsically motivated – characteristics commonly associated with pure leisure (Neulinger, 1981).Keyword(s): high school issues