US parents enjoy time with children—but moms feel more strain

Compared to past decades, children receive more time, effort, and interest from their parents. While this is likely to be of benefit to children, what are the impacts on the well-being of parents? In new research, which examines time diary data from over 12,000 respondents between 2010 and 2013, Kelly Musick, Ann Meier and Sarah Flood find that mothers spend more time with children performing chores such as basic childcare and housework, while fathers spend more time with children in leisure activities. Mothers and fathers also differ in the quantity and quality of their downtime. The disparities in stress and fatigue that mothers and fathers experience in their different activities throughout the day can be linked to lower levels of parental well-being.