How do fathers and mothers divide work and care?

In nearly half of couples with children under 18, fathers work more hours than mothers. Mothers take on a larger share of childcare. One quarter of couples say they share childcare equally, but that fathers works more hours.

Ideally, fathers and mothers would like to share childcare equally. More men than women think women are more suited to bringing up small children than men. One third of men and women (aged 16 years and older) think it is good for babies to attend a nursery for a few days a week. This proportion grows for older children: three-quarters think that a few days of nursery a week is good for toddlers.

Majority think mothers of young children should work three days at most

After the birth of their first baby, 45 percent of mothers work fewer hours or stop working altogether. Half the population (16 years or older) think that mothers of under-4s should work for two or three days a week. Nearly 20 percent say they would prefer mothers not to work at all. Few people think mothers of primary-school children should not work. They see four days a week as more suitable for these mothers than for mothers of babies and toddlers.

Show datatableHow many days per week should parents work? (% of persons aged 16 yrs and over)Hide datatableHow many days per week should parents work? (% of persons aged 16 yrs and over)

How many days per week should parents work? (% of persons aged 16 yrs and over)

Leeftijd kind	Ouder	None	1 day	2 days	3 days	4 days	5 days
Child aged 0 to 3 yrs	Mother, Child aged 0 to 3 yrs	19	14	24	26	14	3
Child aged 0 to 3 yrs	Father, Child aged 0 to 3 yrs	3	3	9	20	39	26
Child aged 4 to 12 yrs	Mother, Child aged 4 to 12 yrs	2	9	22	33	26	7
Child aged 4 to 12 yrs	Father, Child aged 4 to 12 yrs	1	1	5	16	42	36
No child under 13	Mother, No child under 13	1	1	4	16	39	39
No child under 13	Father, No child under 13	1	1	2	5	33	59

Many fathers continue full-time work

Hardly any fathers change their working hours after the birth of their first baby. Most of them continue to work full-time (35 hours a week or more), although most do take paternity leave. A majority of the population think that fathers of children up to 13 years of age should work four or five days a week. For fathers of children under four most people think four days’ work a week is best. Once all children have reached the age of 13, and for childless couples, most people think men and women should work at least four days a week.

The questions

1. What keeps people from eating healthier?
2. What is working people’s income?
3. How much of the energy we consume is renewable?
4. What percentage wears glasses?
5. How are the dragonflies and butterflies doing?
6. How many housing units are there?
7. How does home burglary affect people?
8. In what occupations do most people work from home?
9. How much more expensive did food get?
10. How many babies were born to unmarried mothers?
11. From which countries do most immigrants come?
12. How many centenarians are there?
13. How do fathers and mothers divide work and care?
14. How many cars are there?
15. How much milk does a cow produce?
16. What portion of income went to food in 1936?
17. How many pigs were there in 1910?
18. How many cattle and pigs in the Netherlands?
19. What do we import from China?
20. What type of shop is seen less and less?
21. How many nights are spent in Dutch hotels?
22. How often do older people have contact with neighbours?
23. How many adults comply with the physical activity guidelines?
24. Where do international students in the Netherlands come from?
25. What are the major religions?
26. How many litres of water do we use per day?
27. How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
28. How many inhabitants in the Netherlands??
29. Where can we ride our bikes?
30. At what age do workers retire?
31. Which day has the most birthdays?
32. How many people have a student debt?
33. How does CBS handle your privacy?