Fathers who take sole responsibility for caring for their baby during parental leave are more likely to remain actively involved in childcare years later, according to major new research from The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.
The five-year study found that periods of solo caregiving helped fathers develop confidence, practical parenting skills and a deeper understanding of the demands of childcare, leading to more equal sharing of work and family responsibilities long after the leave period ended.
Researchers followed ten dual-career couples across the UK in which fathers took a period of solo parental leave during their child’s first year. The study tracked how families organised work and childcare over the following five years.
The findings suggest that early solo caregiving can have lasting effects on family life, helping mothers pursue career opportunities while encouraging fathers to take a more active role in parenting and household responsibilities.
The research comes as debate continues about parental leave policy in the UK, where take-up of Shared Parental Leave remains low.
Lasting impact on family life
The researchers found that fathers who spent extended periods caring for their child alone developed practical parenting competence, emotional confidence and a stronger understanding of the often unseen work involved in childcare.
Rather than reverting to traditional gender roles when they returned to work, fathers made adaptations to their work patterns and continued to share responsibilities such as childcare planning, school runs, household management and day-to-day caregiving.
The study found these experiences often helped couples maintain more equal relationships and created greater flexibility in how families balanced careers and childcare.
Key findings
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Fathers who undertook solo caregiving became more confident and capable parents.
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Early childcare experiences helped fathers better understand the emotional, practical and mental load of caring for children.
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Mothers were often able to return to work earlier or pursue career progression because they had confidence in their partner’s caregiving abilities.
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Couples were more likely to view childcare as a shared responsibility rather than primarily the mother’s role.
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Many fathers continued to organise work around family responsibilities years after their leave ended.
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Some fathers became more open about caregiving responsibilities at work and more willing to prioritise family life over career progression.
Rethinking careers and parenting
“Our research shows that fathers’ solo caregiving can have long-lasting effects on how couples organise work and family life years later,” said Professor Emma Banister from the Work and Equalities Institute at Alliance Manchester Business School. “The fathers we spoke to developed confidence and skills through caring for their child alone, and those experiences continued to shape their decisions about work and parenting long after their leave had ended.”
“The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road.”
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