Table A-7. Time spent in primary activities (1) by married mothers and fathers with own household children under 18 by employment status of self and spouse and age of youngest child, average for the combined years 2007-11 Own household children under 18
Activity Average hours per day Differences in married mothers' and fathers' time use on an average day (hours) (2)
Both spouses work full time Mother employed part time and father employed full time Mother not employed and father employed full time Both spouses work full time Mother employed part time and father employed full time Mother not employed and father employed full time
Mothers Fathers Mothers Fathers Mothers Fathers

Total, all activities

 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Personal care activities

 8.96 8.59 9.15 8.52 9.43 8.74 0.37 0.63 0.69

Sleeping

 8.12 7.98 8.41 7.96 8.80 8.15 0.15 0.45 0.65

Household activities

 1.95 1.34 2.62 1.21 3.51 1.07 0.62 1.40 2.44

Housework

 0.82 0.26 1.13 0.21 1.57 0.20 0.56 0.92 1.37

Food preparation and cleanup

 0.79 0.37 1.00 0.30 1.45 0.28 0.43 0.70 1.18

Lawn and garden care

 0.07 0.23 0.11 0.24 0.14 0.18 -0.16 -0.13 -0.05

Purchasing goods and services

 0.55 0.34 0.63 0.34 0.72 0.37 0.21 0.30 0.35

Grocery shopping

 0.13 0.06 0.15 0.06 0.19 0.08 0.06 0.09 0.11

Consumer goods purchases, except grocery shopping

 0.34 0.22 0.38 0.22 0.42 0.23 0.12 0.15 0.18

Caring for and helping household members

 1.29 0.88 1.92 0.93 2.62 0.84 0.41 0.99 1.77

Caring for and helping household children

 1.28 0.86 1.89 0.91 2.60 0.82 0.42 0.98 1.78

Physical care

 0.57 0.28 0.76 0.33 1.03 0.25 0.29 0.43 0.78

Education-related activities

 0.11 0.09 0.17 0.05 0.26 0.04 0.02 0.12 0.22

Reading to/with children

 0.05 0.03 0.07 0.03 0.09 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.05

Playing/doing hobbies with children

 0.22 0.24 0.38 0.30 0.63 0.33 -0.02 0.08 0.30

Working and work-related activities (3)

5.27 6.07 2.78 6.07 0.08 6.20 -0.80 -3.29 -6.12

Working (3)

5.24 6.03 2.72 6.02 0.02 6.15 -0.79 -3.30 -6.13

Leisure and sports

 2.91 3.68 3.45 3.62 4.09 3.55 -0.78 -0.17 0.54

Socializing and communicating

 0.60 0.54 0.78 0.58 0.87 0.55 0.06 0.20 0.32

Watching television

 1.53 2.15 1.65 1.89 2.13 2.06 -0.62 -0.24 0.08

Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation

 0.18 0.32 0.24 0.35 0.24 0.27 -0.14 -0.11 -0.03

Travel

 1.35 1.41 1.37 1.48 1.15 1.40 -0.06 -0.11 -0.25

Travel related to caring for and helping household children

 0.23 0.16 0.28 0.12 0.30 0.09 0.08 0.16 0.22

Other activities, not elsewhere classified

 1.73 1.70 2.08 1.83 2.40 1.82 0.03 0.25 0.58
Table A-7. Time spent in primary activities (1) by married mothers and fathers with own household children under 18 by employment status of self and spouse and age of youngest child, average for the combined years 2007-11 Own household children, youngest under 6
Activity Average hours per day Differences in married mothers' and fathers' time use on an average day (hours) (2)
Both spouses work full time Mother employed part time and father employed full time Mother not employed and father employed full time Both spouses work full time Mother employed part time and father employed full time Mother not employed and father employed full time
Mothers Fathers Mothers Fathers Mothers Fathers

Total, all activities

 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Personal care activities

 9.00 8.63 9.16 8.43 9.45 8.72 0.38 0.73 0.73

Sleeping

 8.22 8.07 8.46 7.92 8.89 8.15 0.15 0.54 0.74

Household activities

 1.81 1.22 2.30 1.15 3.33 1.04 0.59 1.15 2.29

Housework

 0.75 0.27 1.00 0.25 1.47 0.21 0.48 0.75 1.26

Food preparation and cleanup

 0.78 0.39 0.97 0.30 1.45 0.29 0.40 0.66 1.16

Lawn and garden care

 0.05 0.16 0.08 0.21 0.11 0.15 -0.11 -0.13 -0.04

Purchasing goods and services

 0.52 0.37 0.60 0.30 0.64 0.40 0.15 0.30 0.25

Grocery shopping

 0.13 0.07 0.14 0.07 0.16 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.08

Consumer goods purchases, except grocery shopping

 0.32 0.24 0.35 0.19 0.39 0.24 0.07 0.16 0.15

Caring for and helping household members

 2.05 1.35 2.84 1.47 3.35 1.11 0.70 1.37 2.24

Caring for and helping household children

 2.04 1.33 2.81 1.46 3.33 1.09 0.71 1.35 2.24

Physical care

 1.06 0.51 1.32 0.59 1.48 0.37 0.54 0.73 1.12

Education-related activities

 0.09 0.08 0.11 0.04 0.20 0.03 0.01 0.08 0.17

Reading to/with children

 0.08 0.05 0.11 0.06 0.12 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.07

Playing/doing hobbies with children

 0.47 0.46 0.75 0.57 0.97 0.50 0.02 0.18 0.48

Working and work-related activities (3)

5.05 5.93 2.53 6.20 0.05 6.11 -0.88 -3.67 -6.06

Working (3)

5.02 5.88 2.48 6.16 ~0 6.07 -0.86 -3.68 -6.06

Leisure and sports

 2.62 3.51 3.35 3.36 3.89 3.50 -0.89 -0.01 0.38

Socializing and communicating

 0.60 0.58 0.82 0.63 0.89 0.60 0.02 0.19 0.29

Watching television

 1.34 1.98 1.58 1.72 2.07 2.01 -0.65 -0.14 0.05

Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation

 0.19 0.31 0.23 0.30 0.22 0.24 -0.13 -0.08 -0.02

Travel

 1.33 1.37 1.21 1.35 1.05 1.35 -0.04 -0.14 -0.29

Travel related to caring for and helping household children

 0.29 0.17 0.28 0.13 0.29 0.08 0.12 0.15 0.21

Other activities, not elsewhere classified

 1.62 1.63 2.01 1.74 2.24 1.78 -0.01 0.26 0.46
Table A-7. Time spent in primary activities (1) by married mothers and fathers with own household children under 18 by employment status of self and spouse and age of youngest child, average for the combined years 2007-11 Own household children 6-17, none younger
Activity Average hours per day Differences in married mothers' and fathers' time use on an average day (hours) (2)
Both spouses work full time Mother employed part time and father employed full time Mother not employed and father employed full time Both spouses work full time Mother employed part time and father employed full time Mother not employed and father employed full time
Mothers Fathers Mothers Fathers Mothers Fathers

Total, all activities

 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Personal care activities

 8.92 8.56 9.15 8.60 9.41 8.78 0.36 0.55 0.63

Sleeping

 8.05 7.91 8.38 7.99 8.67 8.14 0.14 0.38 0.53

Household activities

 2.06 1.42 2.87 1.27 3.78 1.11 0.64 1.61 2.67

Housework

 0.87 0.25 1.24 0.19 1.72 0.19 0.62 1.05 1.52

Food preparation and cleanup

 0.80 0.35 1.03 0.29 1.46 0.26 0.45 0.74 1.20

Lawn and garden care

 0.08 0.29 0.13 0.26 0.18 0.23 -0.21 -0.13 -0.05

Purchasing goods and services

 0.57 0.32 0.66 0.36 0.83 0.34 0.25 0.30 0.49

Grocery shopping

 0.12 0.06 0.16 0.06 0.23 0.08 0.07 0.11 0.14

Consumer goods purchases, except grocery shopping

 0.35 0.21 0.40 0.25 0.45 0.22 0.15 0.15 0.23

Caring for and helping household members

 0.73 0.54 1.16 0.51 1.55 0.48 0.18 0.65 1.07

Caring for and helping household children

 0.72 0.52 1.14 0.49 1.53 0.44 0.20 0.64 1.08

Physical care

 0.20 0.10 0.30 0.13 0.37 0.08 0.10 0.18 0.29

Education-related activities

 0.12 0.09 0.22 0.07 0.35 0.07 0.03 0.16 0.28

Reading to/with children

 0.02 0.01 0.03 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03

Playing/doing hobbies with children

 0.04 0.09 0.07 0.09 0.13 0.10 -0.05 -0.02 0.03

Working and work-related activities (3)

5.43 6.17 2.98 5.96 0.12 6.32 -0.74 -2.98 -6.20

Working (3)

5.40 6.14 2.92 5.91 0.04 6.27 -0.74 -3.00 -6.23

Leisure and sports

 3.12 3.81 3.54 3.82 4.39 3.62 -0.69 -0.29 0.78

Socializing and communicating

 0.59 0.51 0.74 0.54 0.83 0.47 0.08 0.20 0.36

Watching television

 1.66 2.27 1.72 2.03 2.23 2.11 -0.60 -0.31 0.12

Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation

 0.18 0.32 0.25 0.38 0.27 0.30 -0.14 -0.13 -0.03

Travel

 1.36 1.43 1.50 1.58 1.30 1.48 -0.07 -0.08 -0.18

Travel related to caring for and helping household children

 0.19 0.15 0.29 0.12 0.33 0.10 0.05 0.17 0.23

Other activities, not elsewhere classified

 1.81 1.75 2.14 1.90 2.62 1.87 0.06 0.24 0.75

Footnotes:
(1) A primary activity refers to an individual's main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included.
(2) In each employment category, differences are calculated by subtracting fathers' average hours from mothers' average hours.
(3) Estimates include a small amount of work time done by persons who do not meet the ATUS definition of employed.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
Note: Data refer to persons 15 years and over. For technical information about the American Time Use Survey, see the ATUS User's Guide (PDF).
Source: American Time Use Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

Last Modified Date: October 10, 2012