Educational difference in parents’ childcare time: evidence from CTUS

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study utilises data from China's second (2018) Time Use Survey (CTUS) to quantitatively investigate the impact of educational level on the amount of time parents commit to childcare. It finds that as educational attainment increases and attitudes towards parenting change, parents focus on childcare through “primary activities”. Mothers engaged in childcare as a “secondary activity” only account for 6.2 per cent of the sample, and fathers for an even lower 4.5 per cent. Education positively affects the time parents devote to childcare. The father's involvement in childcare is significantly influenced by the mother's level of education. Employment status significantly influences both parents and spousal childcare time. Women bear approximately three times as much time to childcare as fathers. Furthermore, the shift away from traditional gender-biased attitudes has not significantly influenced the time that parents commit to childcare. Older generations living in the same household do not significantly reduce parents' childcare time.