KEY POINTS:
Fathers who work long hours spend almost as much time with their children as those who work regular hours an Australian study has shown.
The research shows that a lack of motivation, not the number of hours worked, is the reason some men spend very little time with their children.
More than 3000 fathers were interviewed for the study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
One of the study's authors, Dr Jennifer Baxter, told the Sydney Morning Herald that some fathers who worked shorter hours than normal did not devote as much time to their children as their counterparts who worked long hours.
"Clearly some fathers ensured their family time was not compromised by their work demands, even if those work demands were significant," she said.
Fathers who worked long hours (55+) spent an average of two hours and 12 minutes a day with their children, while those who worked 35-44 hours a week spent an average of two hours and 54 minutes, the research found.
The study also looked at the types of activities fathers carried out when spending time with their children.
On average, men who worked in excess of 55 hours a week spent less time than other fathers playing indoor or outdoor games with their children, but the same amount of time as other fathers reading to their children.
The average Australian father with a child under five years of age was found to spend 43 hours a week in paid employment, 6 hours doing housework and 16 hours a week parenting and playing with their children.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
