We’ve known for a long time that mothers spend more time on childcare and housework than fathers in general, but on the weekends, mom and dad should get an equal amount of leisure time, right?
Sadly—though perhaps unsurprisingly—for moms, that’s not how things usually go.
New analysis of Pew research shows that the “leisure gap” between fathers and mothers only gets bigger on the weekends. Though fathers and mothers have about the same amount of leisure time on weekdays (3.3 and 3.2 hours, respectively), dads get an hour more leisure time than moms on Saturdays and Sundays (5.5 hours, compared to a mother’s 4.5).
And that’s despite the fact that dads are spending more time on housework and childcare than they do during the week: dads spend an average 1.1 hours on chores on weekdays (compared to moms’ 2.4 hours) but 2.0 hours on weekends (compared to moms’ 2.8). They also spend 1.0 hours on childcare on weekdays (compared to moms’ 2.1), but 1.1 on weekends (compared to moms’ 1.5).
The moral of the story? Whether it’s the weekday or the weekend, dads need to spend less time on the golf course or watching TV and more time helping their wives take out the trash and play with the kids.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com