Dads of today have tripled the time they spend on caring for their children and do twice as much housework (compared to fathers of a generation ago). Research shows 85% of dads aspire to fully share parenting with their spouses, however only 30% report that they actually get to do this.
For some dads, making these changes may not yet be possible for example, you may not be in a position to change your work schedule or work from home at the moment, but it is worth thinking about how you might aim to adjust or negotiate your work to be more flexible in the future.
The Fathering Project hopes these tips provide you with points for reflection on all the possibilities of achieving balance now and in your family’s future.
Top Tips for being reflective
- Your children are only young once. Remember that work will always be there, but the years go by fast as your children grow.
- Put family first. Whenever there is a significant clash between work and family, family comes first.
- Consider the cost/benefit trade-off of spending time with your children. Spending more time with your children may have implications for your work time (and potentially also income) or leisure time but, investing time and energy in your family will yield immeasurable benefits for all of you.
- Be a good role model. You are an important role model for their work ethic in the future, and also for their work-life balance.
