Husbands at home: Predictors of paternal participation in childcare and housework.

Abstract

Predictors of paternal participation in childcare and housework are examined. A longitudinal sample of 66 couples expecting their 1st child completed extensive questionnaires during the wives' last trimester of pregnancy and 3-8 months after birth. Regressions were conducted in which paternal participation in childcare and housework were regressed on variables pertaining to each of 4 models of paternal participation: relative economic resource, structural, family systems, and sex role attitude. Composite models of paternal participation in housework and childcare were then developed. Fathers' involvement in childcare is best explained by mothers' work hours and fathers' feminism. Fathers' contribution to housework seems best explained by discrepancies in income between spouses, wives' occupational prestige, and dynamics in the marriage. Differences in the determinants of fathers' contributions to childcare and housework are discussed.The benefits of increased paternal involvement in childcare for fathers, children, and mothers have been identified in previous studies. Fathers who are highly involved in childcare report increased closeness with their children (Hood & Golden, 1979;Russell, 1982), greater feelings of competence as fathers (Baruch & Barnett, 1986), more positive attitudes toward child rearing, and greater satisfaction with parenting (Easterbrooks & Goldberg, 1984). Moreover, children with highly involved fathers adopt fewer sex role stereotypes (Carlson, 1984), demonstrate more productive problem-solving behavior (Easterbrooks

What Gets Dad Involved? A Longitudinal Study of Change in Parental Child Caregiving Involvement.

“…Fathers are often reluctant to engage in gendered tasks like changing diapers or feeding young children (Deutsch et al, 1993), which could explain the greater proportion of father involvement in families with primarily older children at Year 1. On the basis of this cross-sectional finding, there is evidently some point in the development of a family at which fathers become more involved as their children grow.…”

“…For instance, the time-diary study mentioned above found that whereas older children spend less time with their fathers, the level of involvement with fathers relative to mothers increases with child age (Yeung et al, 2001). Fathers may feel more comfortable with older children who do not require as many gendered caregiving activities, such as diapering and bathing, as compared with younger children (Deutsch, Lussier, & Servis, 1993). When fathers do interact with young children, they tend to engage in more playful social interactions than in practical caretaking tasks (e.g., Bailey, 1994;Yeung et al, 2001).…”

“…Although a parent who is not employed outside the home may be able to take primary responsibility for this latter job, finite amounts of time and energy may necessitate a more equal division of labor in two-earner families. On the other hand, many fathers prefer to be involved with their children (Deutsch et al, 1993). Some researchers have found that progressive gender-role attitudes may influence the division of labor in some families in which mothers work a significant portion of the day and fathers spend an above-average amount of time as caretakers (Bonney et al, 1999).…”

“…The development of children and their families cannot be understood with a single snapshot of their circumstances or behavior (Deutsch et al, 1993;Menaghan, 1994). Models of development are enhanced by repeated assessments of the same individuals over time.…”

Father Involvement and Marital Relationship during Transition to Parenthood: Differences between Dual and Single-Earner Families

“…This might occur for practical reasons and also due to ideological and attitudinal considerations (Barnett & Baruch, 1988;gottfried & gottfried, 2006;Lamb, Pleck, Charnov, & Levine, 1987;Paterna & Martínez, 2006) but, whatever the reason or reasons, all the studies find more involved fathers in families where both parents are earners (Barnett & Baruch, 1988;Crouter & Manke, 1997;gottfried & gottfried, 2006;Lamb et al, 1987;McBride & Mills, 1993). In addition, studies specifically conducted with dual-earner families show that there are several characteristics of mothers' labour conditions (e.g., work-schedule, number of hours at work, and incomes) significantly related to father's level of participation in childrearing tasks (Barnett & Baruch, 1987;Deutsch, Lussier, & Servis, 1993;gaunt, 2005;Paterna & Martínez, 2009). However, the importance of the mother's work status with respect to father involvement also stems from the significant role this index plays from an ecological perspective of the family system (Bronfenbrenner, 1979;Minuchin, 2002).…”