Do We Invest Less Time in Children? Trends in Parental Time in Selected Industrialized Countries Since the 1960s

Gauthier, Anne H.; Smeeding, Timothy M. (Tim); Furstenberg, Frank F.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1810844

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Do We Invest Less Time in Children? Trends in Parental Time in Selected Industrialized Countries Since the 1960s

Syracuse University Center for Policy Research Working Paper No. 64

44 Pages Posted: 16 Apr 2011

See all articles by Anne H. Gauthier

Timothy M. (Tim) Smeeding

Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Frank F. Furstenberg

University of Pennsylvania - Department of Sociology

Date Written: June 1, 2004

Abstract

This paper examines trends in parental time in selected industrialized countries since the 1960s using time-use survey data. Despite the time pressures to which today’s families are confronted, parents appear to be devoting more time to children than they did some 40 years ago. Results also suggest a decrease in the differences between fathers and mothers in time devoted to children. Mothers continue to devote more time to childcare than fathers, but the gender gap has been reduced. These results are observed in several countries and therefore suggest a large global trend towards an increase in parental time investment with their children.

JEL Classification: J11, J13, O57

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Gauthier, Anne H. and Smeeding, Timothy M. (Tim) and Furstenberg, Frank F., Do We Invest Less Time in Children? Trends in Parental Time in Selected Industrialized Countries Since the 1960s (June 1, 2004). Syracuse University Center for Policy Research Working Paper No. 64, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1810844 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1810844