Work–Family Conflict Influences Mothers’ Perception of Father Involvement with Childcare: A Dyadic Approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT Families with dual-earner parents have been increasing in recent decades, a trend that contributes to father involvement. Because both mothers and fathers face the challenge of conciliating their own and their partners’ work, as well as their parental obligations, work – family conflict (WFC) may emerge. This study aims to examine how parents’ WFC influences the perception of father involvement in childcare and explore the mediating role of coparenting among Portuguese parents using a dyadic approach. Working mothers and fathers (N = 268) of a child aged 2–6 years-old (M age = 4.82; SD = 1.51; 53.1% boys) reported on WFC, coparenting, and father involvement. Significant actor effects were found for mothers’ WFC and their perception of greater father involvement in direct care activities. A crossover effect uncovered how fathers’ WFC influences mothers’ perceptions of fathers’ involvement in their child’s direct care through cooperative coparenting. The findings underscore how WFC is transferred from work to the family, highlighting the importance of policies targeting work environments to better conciliate professional and parental roles.