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John Tyreman always helped around the house, but during the COVID-19 epidemic he started working full time from home when cooking and caring for the kids.
His employer encourages work breaks that Tyrman often spends playing catch with his 5-year-old son while his two young children are asleep. And if he was to move to a different company after the coronavirus crisis, Tyrman says he would seek the same support.
“I would need this kind of relief now if I took a new job,” says Tyrman, who works for a digital advertising agency and lives with his wife and children in Clapper, Virginia. If a company does not provide that kind of relief, it will be a serious red flag. “
With the first COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out across the country, life may soon return to normal as parents who worked from home as their workplace or children’s schools increasingly return to the fees.
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But some dads who took a big part in childcare and childcare during the epidemic, and enjoyed more time with their children, may not want to go back to their old routine.
“I’m sure some fathers will take the first train in their previous lives,” says Richard Weissbard, a senior lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education. “But my guess is that at least some of the fathers, as they’ve met, will work hard to maintain this closeness to the real and deep happiness in their relationships with their children during this time,” adds Weissbourd, who co-authored a study. That said, most fathers feel close to their children during a health crisis.
Will the balance work?
Working mothers handled most of the household chores during the epidemic, a load that caused many to consider leaving the workforce entirely due to stress. But some fathers took a large share of household responsibilities during a health crisis.
The number of couples participating in childcare duties rose about 56% during the Covid-19 crisis, compared to 45% who said this was the case before the epidemic, according to a study co-authored by academics at the University of Utah, Ball State University and Texas University.
“More similarities in terms of how household chores and childcare are shared … are because the father is at home,” says Dat Carlson, a professor of family and consumer studies at Utah University who co-authored the report. The reason was that Dad no longer went to work, cut his hours, took voluntary leave, or parted, “There was a greater urge to stay home … to contribute more around Dad’s home.”
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
Carlson says his survey was conducted in April and noted that the “short-term benefits were due to the short-term gains,” as the question is, “There has been a lot of research into what went into the onset of the epidemic.” He sees what was happening. ‘ ‘Was there a crisis, and has the contribution diminished as reality has been established? ”
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When men take time off after the birth or adoption of a child, studies show that they help more at home, and their participation remains higher even after the absence leave is over.
“So if we think of epidemics in the same way … that they have had to do more because of the crisis, it’s possible that their contribution will be greater than they were before the epidemic.” Says Carlson.
However, the lion’s share of household chores and childcare fell on working mothers, according to a study by Lynn Inn, which found that they were more than three times more likely than fathers to handle most responsibilities.
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The report also found that 25% of women were thinking about quitting their jobs or making other business changes because of these challenges.
‘More women didn’t decide to quit their jobs just because of these responsibilities,’ says Carlson, ‘but the fact that they had to be fired if they had these responsibilities increased.’ Different findings from his own research. “That school responsibility is driving the inequalities in the labor market that we are seeing.”
More father’s time, and more quality
According to a report released by Harvard Graduate School of Education in June and co-written by Wesbird, the crisis 68% of fathers said the crisis also strengthened bonds.
The follow-up survey found that fathers “seem to be talking more to their children about things that are important to them … walking together, enjoying activities together.” Says Weissbard. “The epidemic is devastating for many families. But this seems like a silver lining of roads.”
Now that the vaccine has arrived, and more offices can be reopened, some parents may face a choice.
“The question is, will the forces that are pulling him to resume his past life be so strong that some routines and habits and intimacy will start to deteriorate?” Asks Weissbard.
While some eagerly accept the return of their old schedule, he says, “Other fathers will actually create a new lifestyle that will include more time with their children.”
Those parents who want to hold on to this closeness can set up markers for new routines.
“If they are going for a walk with their children, they should commit to doing it every week,” says Weissbard. “If they are taking meals, they should commit to taking at least four meals (with) each week.” “If some of it becomes a habit, it is likely to continue even after the epidemic is over.”
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New normal
Tyreman, a father of three in Virginia, says his company introduced a policy in the fall that requires employees to take at least one day every two weeks to recharge.
Instead of flying all day, Tyreman says he would “take an hour every day and go out and cut wood or play with the kids, and I don’t feel bad about it because he practices and preaches from top to bottom.”
When the epidemic breaks out, Tyrman says he’ll probably go to the office one or two days a week.
“I find it very valuable to work face-to-face with certain people at certain times,” he says. “There will come a time when I want to go back to office fees.”
But Tyrman will continue to cherish the days when he will be able to work from a distance and spend more time with his family.
“Our house is super active right now.” He says. “These are all messes and recipes …. sometimes they cause conflicts. But the advantages are that we outweigh the disadvantages of being together.”
Follow Cherries Jones on Twitter @CherriesZones
