Research studies have spoken: It's time to give dads a break. New reports from the Pew Research Center paint a sad picture for the working fathers in our lives. They struggle to balance work and home life, miss time with their children and admit that family is a challenge for them.
Of course, I'll be the first to say that when it comes to babies – the gestating, delivering and caring for them specifically – women bear the brunt of the burden. We share of ourselves, quite literally, put careers on pause and most often are the ones staying home while our children grow. Motherhood is hard and thankless work – and between labor and breastfeeding, it's easy to forget that dads have it tough, too.
But that's where this research comes in. According to Pew, nearly half of surveyed dads lamented that they don't spend enough time with their kids. That's compared to just 26 percent of working moms. What gives? Even though both groups spend time away from home, women employed full-time still spend an average of 14 hours caring for their kids each week. On the other hand, dads in the same situation dedicate just 7 hours to their children weekly. And they feel bad about it, too.
When it comes to their role as dad, men seem to beat themselves up much more than moms do. According to Pew, working dads are quick to confess they're failing at parenthood. Only 49 percent of dads surveyed admitted to doing a good job with their kids.
So what does this all mean for expectant moms like you? Take it easy on your partner. New parenthood is joyful, exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. You're the one with the burgeoning belly, but the numbers are in – dad feels the weight of parenthood too.
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