Daddies also want to ’have it all’

Equal parenting: Fathers who take leave and spend more time with their children are really good for their families. Their children benefit from better cognitive, behavioural, psychological and social outcomes.

HAVE you seen the T-shirt slogan: Dads don’t babysit (it’s called “parenting”)?

This slogan calls out the gendered language we often still use to talk about fathers. Babysitters are temporary caregivers, who step in to help out the parents. But the fact is that fathers are spending more time with their children than ever before. In fact, American fathers today spend 65% more time with their children during the workday than they did 30 years ago.