The only route to genuine work-life harmony, I figured, would be to have one version of me concentrate on my profession while another version dedicates itself entirely to raising my energetic toddler.
Of course — cloning isn’t actually possible, so scratch that idea. I suppose I’ll join the many working parents who are navigating the ongoing challenge of balancing job and family life.
And it’s not exclusively working mothers who wrestle with this. Fathers who work outside the home face the same tension just as much.
Dads Want Work-Life Balance Too
Boston College’s Center for Work and Family recently published a report called “The New Dad: The Career-Caregiving Conflict.” Researchers gathered input from over 850 fathers and discovered that more than two-thirds wished they were equal partners in parenting but fewer than one-third actually felt they were achieving that goal.
“It was evident from our findings that many of today’s fathers are indeed caring and committed in both their workplace and home roles, but they also experience significant conflict,” the study observed. “They aspire to advance in their careers yet also want to spend greater time with their kids.”
Only 32% of participants fit the traditional father profile, meaning they expected the mother to assume primary caregiving duties. Even within that subset, 75% said they would like more time with their children.
Dads who felt torn and wanted to be more hands-on reported the lowest job satisfaction compared with traditional fathers or egalitarian fathers (the latter described as men who share parenting responsibilities equally with their partners).
Interestingly, men who devoted more hours to child care tended to earn less. Traditional fathers reported the highest incomes (around $130K–$150K) versus conflicted dads ($100K–$120K) and egalitarian dads ($70K–$90K).
Steps In the Right Direction
The researchers behind “The New Dad” report recommended several approaches that could help working fathers better manage work-life balance.
- Join Dads’ Networks:City Dads Groups connects fathers through meetups held across the nation. The study’s authors noted that speaking with other dads lets men share mutual challenges and brainstorm solutions.
- Explore Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexible schedules or remote options can give fathers more bandwidth for parenting duties. Keep an eye on Savinly’s Make Money resources for tips on companies hiring remote workers or side hustles that let you design your own hours. Consider following job pages on social media to stay updated.
- Use Parental Leave Benefits: New fathers may not always take as much leave as new mothers, but that time to bond is vital. Paternity leave matters for father-child attachment, and some employers already provide paid leave for dads—look into which companies offer such policies.
If you’re navigating these shifts at home, remember many families choose different arrangements, whether one partner focuses more on employment or both share duties equally. For some households, having a parent stay home makes sense—learn more about options for the stay at home dad role and how families adapt.
Amanda Blake is a freelance writer at Savinly. She’s currently plotting ways to duplicate herself.
