The Time Use of Mothers in the United States at the Beginning of the 21st Century

Contents

vii Contents Acknowledgments xiii 1 Introduction 1 Book Overview 2 Overview of the ATUS 4 Historical Time Use Trends of Mothers 5 Policy Implications of Time Use Studies 9 2 A Descriptive Look at Mothers’ Time Use 13 Further Description of the ATUS 13 Mothers’ Time Use on a Typical Day 16 Time Use on a Typical Day by the Age of the Youngest Child 18 Descriptive Evidence Concerning Alternative Caregiving Measures 20 Time Use Differences by Marital Status 25 Time Use Differences by Employment Status 27 Time Use Patterns of Mothers Compared to Nonmothers 34 Time Use Patterns of Mothers Compared to Fathers 36 The Time of Day Pattern of Caregiving Time 41 Summary of the Descriptive Look at Mothers’ Child 43 Caregiving Time 3 The Nature of Maternal Caregiving: Is It More Like Leisure or 49 Household Production? Maternal Time Allocation 50 Data and Estimation Strategy 52 Regression Results 58 Summary 72 4 Husbands’ Influences on Mothers’ Unpaid Time Choices 79 Previous Research on Married Couples’ Joint Time Use 79 Decision Making Theoretical Underpinnings and Equation Specification 81 Mothers’ Nonmarket Time Use Patterns 84 Regression Findings 86 Conclusion 90 viii 5 The Role of Nonstandard Work Hours in Maternal Caregiving 95 Nonstandard Employment and Its Implications for Caregiving 97 Choosing Caregiving Minutes with a Consideration for Schedules 98 Further Descriptive Statistics Concerning Caregiving and 101 Nonstandard Employment Empirical Model 106 Determinants of Weekday Caregiving Minutes for Working 108 Mothers by Work Schedule Considering the Minutes of Caregiving in the Peak Morning and 111 Evening Time Slots Conclusions 117 6 Concluding Remarks 121 Appendix A: ATUS Time Use Categories Included in Five 135 Aggregate Time Uses Appendix B: The Categorization of Time as Child Caregiving 139 According to the ATUS Survey Coding Rules Appendix C: Methods Used to Construct Price of Time Variables 141 Appendix D: Theoretical Model Used in Chapter 4 143 References 145 The Authors 155 Index 157 About the Institute 165 ix Figures 2.1 Weekday Time Use of All Mothers 17 2.2 Weekend Time Use of All Mothers 17 2.3 Weekday Time Use of Mothers of Children Aged 0–5 19 2.4 Weekday Time Use of Mothers of Children Aged 6–12 19 2.5 Weekend Time Use of Mothers of Children Aged 0–5 21 2.6 Weekend Time Use of Mothers of Children Aged 6–12 21 2.7 Comparison of Time Spent Primary Caregiving, Time with Children, and Secondary Caregiving for All Mothers 23 2.8 Mothers’ Time Spent on Types of Caregiving, by Age of the Youngest Child, on Weekdays 24 2.9 Mothers’ Time Spent on Types of Caregiving, by Age of the Youngest Child, on Weekends 25 2.10 Mothers’ Caregiving Time, by Marital Status, for Weekdays and Weekends 26 2.11 Mothers’ Primary Child Caregiving Time, by Weekly Employment Status 30 2.12a Weekday Distribution of Time for Full-Time Employed Mothers 31 2.12b Weekday Distribution of Time for Nonemployed Mothers 31 2.12c Weekend Distribution of Time for Full-Time Employed Mothers 32 2.12d Weekend Distribution of Time for Nonemployed Mothers 32 2.13a Primary and Total Caregiving Time for Mothers Whose Youngest Child is 0–5 33 2.13b Primary and Total Caregiving Time for Mothers Whose Youngest Child is 6–12 33 2.14a Weekday Time Use of All Mothers 37 2.14b Weekday Time Use of All Fathers 37 2.14c Weekend Time Use of All Mothers 38 2.14d Weekend Time Use of All Fathers 38 2.15a Weekday Time Spent in Caregiving by Fathers and Mothers, by Employment Status 40 2.15b Weekend Time Spent in Caregiving by Fathers and Mothers, by Employment Status 40 2.16 Percent of Mothers Whose Youngest Child is 0–5, Engaged in Primary Caregiving Activities, Weekdays and Weekends 43 2.17 Percent of Mothers Whose Youngest Child is 6–12, Engaged in Primary Caregiving Activities, Weekdays and Weekends 43 Tables 2.1 Proportion of Mothers’ Primary Caregiving Time That 25 Is Developmental 2.2 Caregiving Minutes by Marital Status, Age of Youngest Child, 28 and Weekdays versus Weekends 2.3 Percent of Mothers’ Time by Marital Status, Age of Youngest 29 Child, and Weekdays versus Weekends 2.4 Percent of Time Use by Full-Time Employed Mothers and 35 Nonmothers, Weekdays and Weekends 2.5 Percent of Time Use by Nonemployed Mothers and Nonmothers, 35 Weekdays and Weekends 2...