Study Says Australian Dads Have No Time for Kids

A new study says that Australian fathers spend only six minutes alone with their children on weekdays and leave most child-raising chores to their female partners.

In a study which also looked at parenting roles in Denmark, France, Italy and the United States, researcher Lyn Craig found that Australian fathers were among the most traditional.

"The difference between men's and women's lives when they have children is particularly pronounced in Australia," Craig told AFP.

"In terms of the total amount of child care that's done within a household in Australia, 10 percent of it will be done alone by the father and 90 percent of it will be done alone by the mother.

"In Denmark, 17 percent of the household care will be done alone by the father. So it's quite a lot better but it's by no means equal."

Craig, from the University of New South Wales Social Policy Research Centre, said that Australian fathers spent more time with their children on weekends, but this was mostly as part of a family group than as a solo dad.

And when they were alone with their offspring, Australian fathers were less likely to do the chores of bathing or feeding the child and more likely to take them to the park or play games with them, she said, adding that men are more prone to volunteer only for "the fun stuff".

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"That's true worldwide really, but it's slightly less true in Scandinavia," she said.

Craig said Australia was quite traditional in comparison to the other countries, with only 18.5 percent of households having both parents in full-time work compared with 64.7 percent of households in Denmark.

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"Part-time work for women and full-time work for men is the usual thing in households with children (in Australia), and other countries are a bit more equal in workforce participation," she said.

"Just about all over the world, men spend relatively little time alone with their children."

Source-AFP
RAS/SK