Research conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), utilizing data from the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS), indicates that fathers across Europe tend to participate most frequently in interactive and leisure-based childcare tasks, such as playing with children, because these duties often allow for scheduling flexibility. Conversely, fathers are less likely to take on caregiving activities that are rigid and require consistent attention, such as dressing children, preparing meals, or caring for sick children.
The study focused on identifying the specific childcare tasks that fathers perform as often as their partners. A clear pattern emerged: for cooperative, leisure-oriented activities-including playing together, putting children to bed, or organizing free-time outings-the majority of fathers in all studied countries reported performing these tasks at least as frequently as their partners. This pattern is particularly strong regarding play; in seven out of nine countries surveyed, playing is the activity fathers report sharing equally or more often than their partners. Reported rates for this activity vary significantly, ranging from 68 percent in Germany to 95 percent in Norway.
However, a stark contrast was observed when analyzing participation in caregiving duties. For tasks like looking after sick children, getting children dressed, or cooking meals, significant national differences were apparent. For instance, while 80 percent of fathers in Norway and 67 percent in Finland reported caring for sick children at least as often as their partners, the rates were significantly lower in Czechia (around 29 percent) and Germany (42 percent). Generally, Germany’s rates for various provisioning tasks place it in the lower end of the national comparison.
The study further explored the relationship between specific childcare tasks and paternal well-being. Fathers who reported playing with their children at least as often as their partners showed higher levels of life satisfaction. Conversely, assigning caregiving duties-specifically looking after sick children-at the same frequency as their partners was linked to lower levels of life satisfaction.
Stefanie Hoherz, a scientific assistant at the BiB and co-author of the study, explained that caregiving tasks are often bound to strict schedules, making them difficult to reconcile with paid employment. Interactive and leisure tasks, in contrast, offer greater temporal flexibility and can frequently be performed outside of traditional working hours, such as after work or on weekends.
The findings suggest that childcare should not be viewed as a single, unified duty. Instead, various tasks have different requirements and correspondingly impact men’s well-being differently. This realization emphasizes the growing importance of family policies and work organizational frameworks. According to Claudius Garten, a scientific assistant at the BiB, fostering a more balanced distribution of childcare requires specific conditions that improve the compatibility between professional employment and care or provision tasks that are time-bound or unexpected, such as advocating for flexible work hours for parents.
