Married Parents’ Time Use at Home, at Play, and with Children: Variations by Labor Force Status

1. Married Parents’ Time Use at Home, at Play, and with Children: Variations by Labor Force Status Ariel Kalil, Ph.D. and Kathleen M. Ziol-Guest, Ph.D. Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago Study Aims Methods Time in Female-Typed Tasks Time with Children Examine the associations between labor force status and time in household activities, leisure, and care of household children for married mothers and married fathers. • Dependent Variables • Time spent: Minutes per day • Sleep • Female-Typed Tasks: Cooking & cleaning • Male-Typed Tasks: Repair & maintenance • Leisure: Socializing, relaxing, sports, & recreation • Children: Care, play, education, & health • Independent Variables • Respondent characteristics including own labor force status, age, race, and education • Spouse employment status • Household characteristics including income, number of minor children, and age of youngest child • Time study characteristics including weekend, holiday, and survey year indicators • Statistical Model • Tobit Regression (Accounts for censoring at zero) • Descriptive Statistics: Spouse Employment • 65% of fathers who work are married to women who work • 90% of mothers who work are married to men who work * * * * * * * * * Background * Note: * indicates different from mother full time at p < .05 Note: * indicates different from mother full time at p < .05 • Why do women and men spend differing amounts of time on household activities or caring for children? • Hypotheses • Gender-role ideology: Men and women are socialized to perform sex-typed tasks • Time availability: Spouse with the most available time will perform greatest number of tasks • Bargaining: Greater the individual’s economic resources, more leverage in opting out of tasks • Specialization: The spouse with lower earnings will specialize in home production to promote household efficiency Additional Comparisons Time in Male-Typed Tasks • Sleep: Employed fathers spend less time sleeping than all mothers. Unemployed fathers spend marginally more time sleeping than mothers who work full-time. • Average number of father (mother) minutes is 486 (501) • Female-Typed Tasks: Fathers spend less time than mothers in female-typed tasks regardless of labor force status. • Average number of father (mother) minutes is 31 (138) • Male-Typed Tasks: Fathers spend more time than mothers in male-typed tasks, regardless of labor force status. • Average number of father (mother) minutes is 39 (15) • Leisure: Fathers spend more time than mothers in leisure, regardless of labor force status. • Average number of father (mother) minutes is 235 (211) • Children: Fathers spend less time than mothers with children (except full-time employed mothers), regardless of labor force status. • Average number of father (mother) minutes is 50 (105) * * * * Data and Sample Note: * indicates different from mother full time at p < .05 American Time Use Survey 2003 and 2004 Married respondents who are not retired or disabled with children in the household 10,194 parents (60% from 2003 Survey) Includes 4,805 Fathers and 5,389 Mothers Time in Sleep Time in Leisure * * * * * * * * * Father Employment Status 92% Employed 3% Unemployed 4% OLF Mother Employment Status 43% Full time 24% Part time 4% Unemployed 30% OLF * * Note: * indicates different from mother full time at p < .05 Note: * indicates different from mother full time at p < .05