Economists and other social scientists have long recognized that mothers spend more time than fathers on child care, even when both parents work full time. And even though men have assumed more caretaking responsibilities over the past several decades, women still spend more time caring for their children and homes.
This gap matters, because the way childcare is divvied up shapes much more than parents’ work schedules. It can contribute to chronic stress and burnout and influence how couples perceive fairness within their relationships.
The drama would be with mom, at the doctor, who would be an innocent bystander. Nobody wins there…