What Do Fathers Do? A look into the daily activities of fathers versus mothers using time diary data

Abstract

This study compares levels of mother and father involvement within activity categories that include engagement, responsibility, and childcare, across the transition to parenthood for dual-earner, first time parents. Findings indicate that while fathers are very involved with their children, there remain significant discrepancies in the amount of time mothers spend participating in childcare activities for their children. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.