Working parents are always concerned they are not spending enough time with their kids. The guilt is never-ending! A new study reported by The New York Times finds that both mothers and fathers are spending more time with their children and families than parents of earlier generations.
The new study, done by researchers at the University of California at San Diego, analyzes dozens of surveys on how Americans use their time. They report that before 1995, mothers spent about 12 hours a week attending to their children. In 2007, the number rose to 21.1 hours a week for college educated women and 15.9 for mothers with less education.
Fear not, fathers! The study found that dads also spend more time with their children. The pre-1995 rate was 4.5 hours for college educated men. The 2007 rate was up to 9.6 hours. For dads with less education, the pre-1995 rate was 3.7 hours. The 2007 rate was 6.8 hours.
The New York Times also reports that the divorce rate is dropping and couples are waiting longer to get married and have children. Could this have something to do with the increasing amount of time families are spending together?
Things are looking up!
