Brits still expect mums, not dads, to be the default parent, taking the lion’s share of domestic chores, from housework and food shopping to changing nappies.
Brits expect mums to spend the equivalent of 1.5 working days more than dads on childcare, housework and family admin, according to new research, conducted by the UK’s number one children’s name sticker and iron-on name label brand, My Nametags.
The research found that mums are expected to spend more time on almost every parenting task, while dads are praised for doing the basics. For instance, it’s assumed that mums will do the majority of the caring, washing, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and playing.
Mums are also much more likely to be expected to shoulder responsibilities alone, from changing every single nappy, to remembering children’s schedules and appointments. Similarly, Brits are 9% more likely to assume single mothers can manage alone without support from their wider family than single fathers.
These attitudes are reflected in the language used to describe parenting. For instance, “daddy daycare” is still used by 25% of Brits, and “hands-on father” is used by 30%, suggesting that dads are often praised for completing tasks that people anticipate mums will do as standard.
The research also found that mums are almost always expected to juggle paid work alongside the heavier parenting load. Despite managing the majority of parenting duties, 90% of people say the mums they know still have a career, and almost a quarter (23%) work full-time.
And they are still under pressure to perform to a high standard. In fact, almost the same proportion of Brits expect a mother of small children to hold a senior position as fathers (56% vs 59%).
The study shows that this gap in expectations widens when people become parents themselves. Parents calculate that the average mum spends 13.72 more hours parenting per week, whilst people without children of their own estimate 7.36 – almost six hours fewer than those with lived experience.
Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, comments on the findings: “Being a parent myself and working with parents for over twenty years, I’m well aware of the demands of modern life and childcare. Our research shows that mothers often still carry the heaviest load, and with very little recognition or praise.
“That’s why we’re committed to making busy families’ lives just that little bit easier. We’ve put together some helpful hacks for those struggling to juggle all the demands of modern parenting, whether that’s mothers, fathers, grandparents, or other carers. We hope that they help families to free up valuable hours to spend more quality time together.”
Free up some time with these helpful parenting hacks.
