Making it work

Fathers' nonstandard work schedules and parenting activities

Bibliographic Data

ID18957792
AuthorsA Zilanawala (0000-0002-1439-6128, Social Statistics and Demography University of Southampton Southampton UK, corresponding author), Anne Mcmunn (0000-0003-3237-9345, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health University College London London UK)
Year2023
Volume85
Issue1
Pages233-260
Publication date2023-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Marriage and the Family (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-2445 • E-ISSN: 1741-3737
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jomf.12853
OpenAlexW4282542927
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited50

Objective We examined associations between types of nonstandard work schedules among fathers, couple‐level work schedules, and fathers' parenting activities in infancy and middle childhood in the United Kingdom. Background An emerging body of literature has interrogated the implications of fathers' nonstandard schedules for their parenting. The evidence is mixed owing to the range of child ages investigated and country context. It remains unclear whether nonstandard working hours are related to different types of parenting activities. Method The authors used the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative birth cohort from the UK, and two measures of fathers' parenting: basic care (9‐month and 7‐year interviews) and play and recreation (7 years). Regression models predicted parenting from fathers' nonstandard work schedules at 9‐months ( n = 11,412) and 7 years ( n = 7791). Results Fathers who regularly worked night schedules engaged in more basic care in both infancy and middle childhood, compared to fathers who regularly worked standard schedules. Evening schedules were related to lower levels of basic care among infants and 7‐year‐olds. There were stronger positive associations with parenting when considering mothers' work schedules. Fathers' parenting at both ages was higher in families in which both parents worked at nonstandard times or parents were engaged in split‐shift schedules. Conclusion Fathers' night work schedules were associated with more parenting activities in infancy and middle childhood. The combination of fathers' and mothers' work schedules were relatively more important than considering fathers' work schedules in isolation.

Child care · Child rearing · Cohort · Context (archaeology) · Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Evening · Work (physics) · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges · Pediatrics

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