Northwestern economist Matthias Doepke and Yale economist
Fabrizio Zilibotti note:
The greater a country’s income inequality,
the likelier parents are to push their kids to work hard
"Many people who
grew up in America in the 1970s remember a low-pressure childhood with a lot
more freedom and independence than today’s kids enjoy. Data backs up those
impressions. In 1969, 41 percent of American children biked or walked to
school, a figure that had dropped to about 18 percent by 2014. In 2017,
according to the American Time Use Survey, a typical American parent spent
close to twice as much time each week interacting with their children as
parents did in the late 1970s (almost 28 hours for both parents in 2017, up
from 14 hours in 1976). And education-oriented activities grew the fastest.
These changes put a significant burden on parents. The numbers are even more striking when you consider that, in 1976, mothers were far less likely to be in the workforce than in 2017, which means that parents today are working more and doing more hands-on parenting.”
These changes put a significant burden on parents. The numbers are even more striking when you consider that, in 1976, mothers were far less likely to be in the workforce than in 2017, which means that parents today are working more and doing more hands-on parenting.”
Related:
Why Swedes Are Chiller Parents Than Americans
