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Table 7. Time adults spent caring for household children as a primary activity, by sex of childcare provider and age of youngest child, averages for May to December, 2019 and 2020

Table 7. Time adults spent caring for household children as a primary activity, by sex of childcare provider and age of youngest child, averages for May to December, 2019 and 2020
Primary childcare activity and age of youngest child Average hours per day, population Average percent engaged in the activity per day Average hours per day for persons who engaged
in the activity
Men Women Men Women Men Women
2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020

Children under age 18, total

Caring for household children as a primary activity

 0.83 0.77 1.47 1.69 54.4 40.8 66.1 64.2 1.53 1.88 2.23 2.63

Physical care

 0.24 0.24 0.61 0.61 31.6 25.3 51.0 48.3 0.77 0.95 1.20 1.27

Education-related activities

 0.05 0.08 0.10 0.35 5.3 5.0 10.4 14.7 0.96 1.65 1.01 2.41

Reading to/with children

 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.07 6.7 5.1 10.1 11.6 0.43 0.59 0.48 0.57

Talking to/with children

 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.06 7.2 3.4 10.4 7.9 0.72 0.90 0.52 0.72

Playing/doing hobbies with children

 0.29 0.30 0.31 0.39 17.2 15.2 17.3 19.3 1.68 1.96 1.80 2.04

Looking after children

 0.04 0.03 0.08 0.07 5.6 3.0 8.8 7.2 0.79 1.16 0.91 0.98

Attending children's events

 0.06 0.02 0.07 0.04 3.2 1.2 4.3 2.3 1.96 2.00 1.72 1.80

Other childcare activities(1)

 0.06 0.03 0.19 0.10 19.7 10.0 36.3 20.6 0.30 0.27 0.53 0.48

Youngest child ages 6 to 17

Caring for household children as a primary activity

 0.43 0.38 0.71 0.84 39.0 28.9 52.0 47.3 1.11 1.32 1.37 1.78

Physical care

 0.07 0.06 0.18 0.23 13.8 11.5 29.1 27.5 0.53 0.49 0.62 0.84

Education-related activities

 0.05 0.10 0.08 0.25 5.3 6.4 7.4 13.0 0.90 1.59 1.02 1.92

Reading to/with children

 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03 2.9 1.4 3.7 5.0 0.29 0.51 0.53 0.61

Talking to/with children

 0.05 0.03 0.07 0.06 7.5 3.3 12.0 9.0 0.60 0.85 0.60 0.70

Playing/doing hobbies with children

 0.09 0.12 0.07 0.09 5.9 7.5 5.0 5.6 1.53 1.58 1.39 1.64

Looking after children

 0.04 0.02 0.07 0.03 5.3 2.0 7.0 4.2 0.67 s 0.96 0.64

Attending children's events

 0.08 z 0.09 0.06 3.7 1.4 4.1 2.6 2.26 s 2.11 2.16

Other childcare activities(1)

 0.05 0.02 0.14 0.09 18.4 8.7 31.1 17.4 0.28 0.24 0.45 0.52

Child under age 6

Caring for household children as a primary activity

 1.44 1.32 2.48 2.78 78.0 57.9 84.6 86.0 1.85 2.29 2.93 3.23

Physical care

 0.51 0.50 1.18 1.10 59.0 45.2 79.7 74.7 0.86 1.12 1.48 1.47

Education-related activities

 0.06 0.05 0.14 0.49 5.3 2.9 14.4 16.9 1.06 s 1.00 2.89

Reading to/with children

 0.06 0.06 0.09 0.11 12.7 10.4 18.7 20.0 0.48 0.61 0.46 0.55

Talking to/with children

 0.06 0.03 0.03 0.05 6.8 3.6 8.4 6.4 0.93 0.97 0.38 0.75

Playing/doing hobbies with children

 0.59 0.56 0.63 0.78 34.6 26.4 33.4 36.8 1.71 2.12 1.88 2.12

Looking after children

 0.06 0.05 0.10 0.13 6.2 4.4 11.2 11.1 0.96 1.20 0.86 1.15

Attending children's events

 0.03 s 0.06 0.02 2.4 1.0 4.5 1.8 1.25 s 1.26 1.12

Other childcare activities(1)

 0.07 0.04 0.26 0.11 21.7 11.9 43.2 24.7 0.33 0.30 0.60 0.43

(1) Includes time spent doing the following activities for or with household children: picking up and dropping off, waiting, organizing and planning, activities related to children's health, and other miscellaneous care.
s - Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.
z - Estimate is approximately zero.

Note: Includes persons 18 years and over living in households with children under 18, whether or not they provided childcare. Data are representative of the periods May 10th through December 31st. Unlike in prior years, "Caring for household children as a primary activity" does not include associated travel.

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Last Modified Date: July 22, 2021