Not surprising, given the typical employment and schooling arrangements, mothers and fathers spend more time on the weekends with spouses and children than they do during the week. It is interesting to note that whether during the weekend or the weekdays, mothers on average, spend more time with children than with spouses, while the opposite pattern is evident among fathers. Of course, the numbers in Figure 2 are only averages, and they conceal a great deal of variation in patterns of social contact with family members. To demonstrate this variation, Figure 3 shows the distribution of fathers and mothers by the amount of time spent with children during weekdays. About three out of ten fathers spent an hour or less with their children during weekdays while 13 per cent spent more than 6 hours with their children.
Mothers are more likely to spend greater amounts of time with children during the weekdays.
A major factor influencing the amount of time parents spend with their children is the amount of time they spend on the job. It is important to note that the hours of employment and time with children shown in Figures 3 and 4 are based on the time diaries from one particular weekday in the year. They are not necessarily typical of the time patterns of individual mothers and fathers throughout the year. In other words, the 31 per cent of fathers who spent less than 1 hour with their children are not necessarily spending this same time everyday of the year. Nor are those spending more than six hours with children following this same pattern throughout the year.