Fathers spend more leisure time while mothers work the most after the childbirth, says a renowned study

New Delhi, October 10: A working mother works double than a man in a household. Researchers have found that fathers are often seen having fun while mothers work around the house. The study published online in the Journal Sex Roles found that 3 months after the birth of the first baby, men are most often relaxing while working women are engaged in housework or childcare. 

 

According to lead author Claire Kamp Dush, associate professor at The Ohio State University, “Household tasks and child care are still not being shared equally, even among couples who we expected would have more egalitarian views of how to share parenting duties.”

The researchers conducted a study that included 52 couples who participated in the New Parents Project. They were asked to complete their own time diaries for a working and a non-working day during the third trimester of the woman’s pregnancy and about three months after the baby’s birth.

On the days off, men are seen more relaxed, almost 46% of their entire day while the mother takes care of the child the entire day. Results were similar for housework, where fathers took 35 per cent of the time off while their partner did tasks like cleaning. Women took 19 per cent of the time off when men did housework.

Men need to get in there and take care of their child and house, particularly on the weekends. In some cases, moms may need to step back and let fathers do housework and childcare tasks without hovering to make sure they meet her standards, the researcher added.