Bureau of Labor Statistics
Table 9. Time spent caring for household children under 18 by sex of adult (1) and age of youngest child by day of week, average for the combined years 2003-07
Table 9. Time spent caring for household children under 18 by sex of adult (1) and age of youngest child by day of week, average for the combined years 2003-07
Average hours per day spent caring for household children
Childcare activities Total Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2)
Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women
Persons in households with children under 18, total:
Caring for household children as a primary activity...... 1.31 0.81 1.74 1.40 0.79 1.92 1.11 0.87 1.32
Physical care........................................... .45 .22 .64 .47 .22 .69 .40 .24 .53
Education-related activities............................ .10 .06 .13 .13 .07 .17 .04 .02 .04
Reading to/with children................................ .04 .02 .05 .04 .02 .05 .03 .02 .04
Talking to/with children................................ .05 .03 .07 .06 .03 .09 .04 .02 .05
Playing/doing hobbies with children..................... .26 .22 .29 .25 .19 .29 .30 .30 .29
Looking after children.................................. .07 .06 .09 .07 .05 .09 .09 .07 .09
Attending children's events............................. .06 .05 .06 .05 .04 .06 .08 .07 .09
Travel related to care of household children............ .17 .10 .23 .20 .12 .28 .09 .07 .10
Other childcare activities.............................. .11 .06 .17 .14 .06 .20 .06 .05 .07
Persons in households with youngest child 6 to 17 years:
Caring for household children as a primary activity.... .77 .49 1.01 .85 .51 1.15 .57 .44 .68
Physical care......................................... .15 .07 .22 .17 .08 .26 .10 .06 .14
Education-related activities.......................... .11 .07 .15 .14 .08 .19 .05 .03 .06
Reading to/with children.............................. .02 .01 .02 .02 .01 .02 .02 .01 .03
Talking to/with children.............................. .07 .03 .10 .08 .04 .11 .05 .03 .07
Playing/doing hobbies with children................... .06 .07 .05 .05 .06 .04 .08 .08 .07
Looking after children................................ .04 .03 .05 .04 .03 .05 .04 .03 .05
Attending children's events........................... .07 .06 .08 .06 .05 .07 .10 .09 .11
Travel related to care of household children.......... .16 .10 .21 .19 .12 .25 .09 .07 .10
Other childcare activities............................ .09 .05 .13 .11 .05 .16 .05 .04 .06
Persons in households with youngest child under 6:
Caring for household children as a primary activity.... 1.97 1.22 2.60 2.07 1.15 2.84 1.74 1.37 2.05
Physical care......................................... .81 .41 1.14 .84 .39 1.21 .74 .45 .98
Education-related activities.......................... .08 .05 .10 .10 .06 .14 .02 .01 .03
Reading to/with children.............................. .06 .04 .08 .07 .03 .09 .05 .04 .07
Talking to/with children.............................. .03 .02 .05 .04 .02 .06 .03 .02 .03
Playing/doing hobbies with children................... .51 .42 .58 .49 .36 .59 .55 .55 .55
Looking after children................................ .11 .09 .14 .11 .08 .13 .14 .12 .15
Attending children's events........................... .04 .03 .04 .03 .02 .04 .05 .04 .05
Travel related to care of household children.......... .18 .10 .25 .22 .12 .31 .08 .07 .10
Other childcare activities............................ .15 .07 .21 .17 .07 .26 .08 .06 .10
1 Persons 18 years and over living in households with children under 18, whether or not they provided childcare.
2 Holidays are New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Data were not collected about
Christmas Day in 2003; Thanksgiving Day in 2003-05; and New Year’s Day in 2007.
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Last Modified Date: June 25, 2008
