Forty Years of American Parenthood

Suzanne Bianchi is a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, a former director of the Maryland Population Research Center, and a co-author of a new book coming out this summer called Changing Rhythms of American Family Life, which presents findings from time diary data from surveys conducted over the last forty years.

There are some surprising facts about the way families balance the demands of work and family.

Despite hype to the contrary, preserving family time is a priority in America -- despite workloads that have increased since 1965 for both men and women.

Today's employed moms spend roughly the same amount of time with their children as stay-at-home moms did in 1975.

Since the mid-1980s, fathers have been increasing the amount of time they spend with their children (including the basics of childcare such as feeding and bathing).

Moms are doing less housework, multitasking more and taking advantage of innovations such as microwaves and prepared meals.

Dads increased the amount of housework they did from 1965 to 1985. They must have collectively decided in 1985 that they'd reached the logical tipping point, because dads haven't increased their portion of housework much since then.

Neither working nor stay-at-home moms feel they spend enough time with their kids. (My comment: The motherhood guilt-monster strikes all moms equally.)

Suzanne has faced these work/life issues herself. She left a job with the U.S. Census Bureau to join the University of Maryland Department of Sociology, in part because academic life would allow her more flexibility and time with her kids -- and perhaps assuage her guilt about not spending "enough" time with them. When she happily explained to her children that now she could pick them up from school and spend the afternoons at home with them, her daughter's sad face puzzled her. Then her daughter explained: "But I still can go to afterschool to be with my friends, right?" Maybe there isn't so much to feel guilty about, for all of us moms.

By Leslie Morgan Steiner |  April 10, 2006; 8:13 AM ET  | Category:  Research
Previous: Friday Free-for-All: Let's Hear From Single Parents | Next: The Terrible Teens

Name:

Comments: