Do Dads Get More Credit for Doing Less Work Than Moms?

While the roles of mom and dad seem to be evolving, most parents would agree that the weight and heavy lifting of parenthood still falls on mom. So do you ever feel that dads are the ones getting more credit for their parenting duties? One mom is questioning why we applaud dads for doing less work than moms—and parents everywhere have feelings.

In her article in The Lilly entitled “My husband and I are equal partners. Why does he get so much more credit for parenting?” artist and illustrator Katie Wheeler shared her thoughts through commentary and cartoons on Dads being rewarded for doing the bare minimum.

“Now that I’m a member of the “Mom Club,” I hear a lot of women who complain about their husband’s inability to fold laundry, make a bottle, juggle pickups and take on parent-teacher conferences,” she writes. “Parenthood has largely been viewed as “women’s work,” at the expense of both partners.”

Wheeler says she has often noticed that her husband Trent is praised for being such a committed and involved parent for taking their child to the park or wanting to be a part of emails about his child. While Wheeler feels as a mom she is often judged and questioned for her choices—often by strangers.

However, Wheeler says she was inspired to bring this issue to light when her husband took her daughter to a doctor’s appointment and was praised doing by everyone in the doctor’s office.

She finishes by saying this is something moms and dad should care about. “At the end of the day, women shouldn’t have to settle for a partner who does the bare minim, and men shouldn’t accept that society thinks so little of them,” she writes. “It’s not about dividing chore and diaper changes- it’s about raising little people who are learning how to make the world a better place.”

We want to know what you think. Tell us in the comments if you feel moms are doing more work and getting less credit.