Stay-at-home dads not pulling their weight, study suggests

A new study has found many Australian fathers opting to be stay-at-home dads aren’t pulling their weight around the house.

There are now 75,000 “Mr Mums” in Australia, up from 30,000 in 1981, however research shows on average they are putting in less childcare hours than their wives, working full-time jobs.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies found that despite stay-at-home dads taking the responsibility for looking after kids when ill and driving them around, they were often leaving it to their wives to prepare the kids for bed and checking their homework.

“In stay-at-home-dad families, dads spent an average of 19 hours a week on childcare, while the ‘working’ mothers also spent 21 hours on childcare,” researcher Dr Jennifer Baxter said.

“Stay-at-home dads spent 28 hours a week on housework, while mothers spent 23 hours — which they managed to combine with an average 35-hour working week paid job.”

Four per cent of Australia’s two-parent families now opt for homemaker fathers compared to 31 per cent stay-home mums.

Newtown father and former radio host Matt Baesley told News Corp that his decision to stay at home with his kids was a “no brainer.

“I wouldn’t trade this job for the world, although I have to laugh when the mums at the park say to me: ‘Oh, are you babysitting for the day?’ ” he laughed