Dads are twice as likely to get stressed out juggling WFH with looking after the kids
MEN get more stressed out looking after their kids while working from home than women, a study suggests.
Dads were twice as likely to feel high levels of parenting stress when remote working as they were when in the office, US researchers found.
In contrast, mums saw the strain increase slightly but the difference was not significant, they said.
Dr John James Parker, of Northwestern University, said: “Teleworking during the pandemic was associated with more parenting stress, especially for fathers.
“This might be a reflection of societal expectations that men should prioritise work over family needs, which creates additional stress for fathers working from home.”
Just one in eight Brits worked from home before the Covid pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics.
However, rates of remote working soared when lockdown restrictions first hit, peaking at around 49 per cent from April to June 2020.
Around 40 per cent of adults said they worked from home at some point over the last week from January 25 to February 5 this year, latest data show.
Previous research has shown homeworking during the pandemic increased levels of loneliness and mental distress.
However, ONS data have also shown nearly half of people working from home said it improved their well-being and work-life balance.
The latest study, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at how it impacts stress levels in parents.
Researchers surveyed 1,060 parents from all 77 neighbourhoods in Chicago.
Overall, 40 per cent of parents who worked remotely reported higher parentintg stress during the pandemic.
For comparison, the figure was 27 per cent in people who worked on site.
Researchers said parents can take steps to reduce their stress levels when working from home as parents.
Dr Parker said: “We recommend that parents reflect on their family and work situation and try to find an arrangement that limits stress and promotes wellbeing.
“This can be as simple as using a noise cancelling machine, rearranging schedules to limit distractions and planning time to step away from work to be fully engaged with children.”