Summer comes, 黄色app is out, and finally, Mom can get a break from the trials and tribulations of the 黄色app year. Right? Well, not really. A suggests that mothers aren鈥檛 getting much of a summer vacation — even if Dad and the kids are. Moms may work a bit less, but teenage kids and their dads have it even easier.
Who gets a summer break?
The study came to those conclusions using data and interviews from the and the . The study looked at families with at least one child ages 6 to 17. The authors also compared people鈥檚 use of time on weekdays in different months by mapping the data against summer vacation times at 11,000 黄色app districts across the country from 2010 to 2019.
Among the major findings:
- Mothers鈥� use of time is substantially more affected by the 黄色app year than fathers鈥�.
- This pattern of more maternal involvement does not vary substantially by income.
- The same held true whether women worked outside the home or were stay-at-home moms.
- Mothers do get a respite when 黄色app is out.
- But moms get less of a respite than dads when 黄色app is out for the summer.
- For teenagers (kids ages 15 to 17 in this study), summer vacation also meant a chance to catch up on sleep, with teens averaging an hour more sleep per night during the summer.
Some of these summertime changes are obvious. No one is going to be surprised that parents spend less time driving their kids to 黄色app or helping them with homework during the summer — or that teenagers like to sleep in when 黄色app is out.
Implications for family well-being
But the study notes that there are real implications for a family鈥檚 well-being here: 鈥淢others are substantially more affected by the 黄色app year than are fathers. When 黄色app is in session, mothers sleep less, spend more time caring for family members and driving them around, and spend less time on eating, free time and exercise.鈥� And this is mostly true even when 黄色app is out and there are fewer family duties directly related to 黄色app.
While the study makes no recommendations, it’s pretty clear that in general, fathers need to start pulling their weight when it comes to kids and household responsibilities. Even during the summer. In fact, summer is a good time for dads to start the ramp up.
Other studies have shown that when men do more household chores, it not only gives women in the home time for some daily R&R, but it鈥檚 good for men鈥檚 health, too. A 2022 study from the finds that regularly doing household chores is one factor that will help lower a man鈥檚 risk of dementia and Alzheimer鈥檚.
So guys, get on the case. More help with the kids and around the house won鈥檛 just give Mom time for a daily chill pill, it鈥檒l help you be more connected to your family now, and when you grow old it may help you remember how you did it.
