A study shows that despite a poor reputation for sharing the housework and childcare, Australian fathers are domestic paragons compared with those in other countries.
"They do less than Australian women but they compare favourably to men in some other countries," says Lyn Craig, senior research fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of NSW.
Her study shows that Australian fathers are run off their feet, Fairfax newspapers say.
Their long hours in paid work, combined with their domestic labours, mean they work harder than Danish, French or Italian fathers and the same as Americans. For example, they spend 10 to 11 hours a day in paid and domestic work compared with eight hours for Danish men.
But before Australian men are let off the hook, Dr Craig, the nation's foremost authority on work-life balance, points to the even longer work routines of Australian mothers.
Although most do much less paid work, they lavish a lot more time on their children and on housework than mothers in other countries, making for a longer day.
Dr Craig points out in her study, Work and Family Time: Australia in Comparative Perspectives, that Australian parents are overstretched and working longer hours than their overseas counterparts.
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