{"id":10833,"date":"2019-06-12T12:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T17:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/fathers-day-facts\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:12:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:12:45","slug":"fathers-day-facts","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/06\/12\/fathers-day-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"8 facts about American dads"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Half<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
A father and daughter at a playground in Aurora, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n\n

Fatherhood in America is changing. Today, fathers who live with their children are taking a more active role in caring for them and helping out around the house, and the ranks of single fathers<\/a> have grown significantly in recent decades. At the same time, more and more children are growing up without a father in the home<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The changing role of fathers has introduced new challenges as dads juggle the competing demands of family and work. Here are some key findings about fathers from Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"Rising<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

More dads are staying home to care for their kids. The share of fathers who are stay-at-home dads ticked up<\/a> from 4% in 1989 to 7% in 2016. As a result, dads made up 17% of all stay-at-home parents in 2016, up from 10% in 1989. Among Millennials (those ages 20 to 35 in 2016), 6% of dads were at home with their kids. By comparison, 3% of Gen X dads were at home with their kids when they were the same age.<\/p>\n\n

Among stay-at-home dads, it\u2019s becoming much more common to be home specifically to care for family. In 2016, 24% of stay-at-home dads reported that this was the main reason they were at home, up from just 4% in 1989. In comparison, 78% of stay-at-home moms reported this was the main reason they were home, down from 86% in 1989.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"Fatherhood<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Dads see parenting as central to their identity. Dads are just as likely as moms to say that parenting is extremely important to their identity<\/a>. Some 57% of fathers said this in a 2015 survey by the Center, compared with 58% of mothers. Like moms, many dads also seem to appreciate the benefits of parenthood: 54% reported that parenting is rewarding all of the time, as did 52% of moms. Meanwhile, 46% of fathers and 41% of mothers said they find parenting enjoyable all of the time.<\/p>\n\n

A sizable minority of childless men (44% of those 18 to 49) hope to become fathers at some point, and another 35% are unsure if they want to become parents, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey<\/a>. Among childless women in the same age group, 50% want to become mothers, while 22% are unsure if they want to.<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"For<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Work-family balance is a challenge for many working fathers. Just like mothers, many of today\u2019s fathers find it challenging to balance work and family life. About half of working dads (52%) said in 2015 that it is very or somewhat difficult<\/a> to do so, a slightly smaller share than the 60% of working mothers who said the same. And about three-in-ten working dads (29%) said they \u201calways feel rushed,\u201d as did 37% of working mothers.<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"Americans<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Most Americans think men face a lot of pressure to provide financially for their family. About three-fourths of adults (76%) said in a 2017 survey that men face a lot of pressure<\/a> to support their family financially, while 49% said men face a lot of pressure to be an involved parent. In contrast, 77% said women face a lot of pressure to be an involved parent, and 40% said women face a lot of pressure to support their family financially.<\/p>\n\n

In addition, the public thinks working fathers are under more pressure than working moms to return to their job after the birth or adoption of a child. A 2016 survey found that about half of adults (49%) said employers put more pressure on fathers to return to work quickly<\/a> after the birth or adoption of a new child, while 18% said employers put more pressure on mothers. A third said employers pressure mothers and fathers about equally.<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"The<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

It’s become less common for dads to be their family\u2019s sole breadwinner. As of 2016, about a quarter of couples (27%) who live with children younger than 18 were in families where only the father works. This marked a dramatic change from 1970, when almost half of these couples (47%) were in families where only the dad worked. The share of couples living in dual-earner families has risen significantly and now comprises the majority of two-parent families with children.<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"For<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Dads are much more involved in child care than they were 50 years ago. In 2016, fathers reported spending an average of eight hours a week on child care \u2013 about triple the time they provided in 1965. And fathers put in about 10 hours a week on household chores in 2016, up from four hours in 1965. By comparison, mothers spent an average of about 14 hours a week on child care and 18 hours a week on housework in 2016.<\/p>\n\n

When it comes to caregiving, moms and dads are still viewed differently.<\/strong> About half of Americans (53%) in 2016 said that, breast-feeding aside, mothers do a better job than fathers caring for a new baby<\/a>. A somewhat smaller share (45%) said mothers and fathers do about equally well, and 1% of Americans said fathers do a better job than mothers.<\/p>\n\n

While most (71%) said it\u2019s equally important for new babies to bond with their mother and their father, about a quarter (27%) said it\u2019s more important for new babies to bond with their moms, and 2% said it\u2019s more important for new babies to bond with their fathers.<\/p>\n\n

Some also see an advantage to moms \u2013 more than dads \u2013 caring for young children. Among the plurality of adults (44%) who said the ideal situation for a young child with two parents is for one parent to stay home<\/a>, 39% said it\u2019s better if that parent is the mother, while just 5% said a child is better off if the father stays home. More than half (56%) said it doesn\u2019t matter which parent stays home.<\/p>\n\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"About<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

While they\u2019re spending more time with their children, many dads feel they\u2019re not doing enough. Most dads (63%) said in a 2017 survey that they spend too little time<\/a> with their kids, compared with 35% of mothers who said the same. Among both dads and moms who said they spend too little time with their kids, work obligations were cited most often as the main reason.<\/p>\n\n

Dads are also less positive about their own parenting abilities than are moms. Just 39% of fathers said in 2015 that they were doing a \u201cvery good job\u201d raising their children<\/a>, compared with 51% of mothers.<\/p>\n\n

Note: This is an update of a post originally published on June 12, 2014.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The changing role of fathers has introduced new challenges as dads juggle the competing demands of family and 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