Modern Parenthood: Roles of Moms and Dads Converge as They Balance Work and Family.

The way mothers and fathers spend their time has changed dramatically in the past half century. Dads are doing more housework and child care; moms more paid work outside the home. Neither has overtaken the other in their "traditional" realms, but their roles are converging, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of long-term data on time use. The findings are based on a new Pew Research survey of 2,511 adults nationwide conducted Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2012, and an analysis of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), which began in 2003 and is a nationally representative telephone survey that measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities throughout the day sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. (Author abstract modified)