Paternidad: ¿Un pasatiempo?

Según el estudio los padres australianos pasan, en la semana laboral, un promedio de seis minutos con sus hijos.

Australian men's hobby parenting

The old stereotype of the tough Australian male has been reinforced this week. A new study from the University of New South Wales has discovered that on average Australian fathers only spend six minutes with their children from Monday to Friday.

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The report may make unsettling reading for Australian fathers for it discovered that on average they spend just over a minute each day alone with their children during the busy working week. In a country that's sometimes been unfairly viewed as a bastion of male chauvinism the study appeared to reinforce that view.

It found that fathers were more likely to spend time with their children in the park, or at sports events, but rarely participated in feeding, bathing, or ferrying children to and from school.

Mothers in Australia tend to spend three hours each week purely looking after their children, a much greater disparity than other countries like America, Denmark, Italy and France, where couples divide their childcare more evenly.

According to the author of the study, Australian fathers appear to like the fun aspects of parenthood, but shy away from the drudgery. They tend to contribute when they're free, likely to enjoy themselves and therefore tend to look upon childcare as another leisure activity. Australian parenting is seen as a woman's job and a man's hobby.

In fairness to Australian men, they do tend to work longer hours than their counterparts in America, Denmark, Italy and France.

By Nick Bryant, Sydney

 Listen to the words

unsettling
inquietante

working week
semana laboral (lunes a viernes)

bastion
un bastión (del machismo)

male chauvinism
machismo

reinforce
afirmar o reforzar (este punto de vista)

ferrying children to and from
llevar y traer en auto a los niños (de la escuela)

disparity
una discrepancia (con otros países)

drudgery
un trabajo penoso o pesado

In fairness to
Haciendo justicia (a los hombres australianos)

counterparts
sus homólogos (de América, Dinamarca, Italia y Francia)

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