Russian fathers' involvement in childcare, children's education and housework during the COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract

This study attempts to determine whether the increasing need for parental assistance with schooling and the improved options for this owing to remote work had an impact on fathers' involvement in childcare, children's education and housework during the COVID-19 lockdown. We make use of information from a May 2020 online poll of 1359 Russian mothers. Using binary logistic regression, we examine the links between fathers' work schedules, the need for additional school support for children and an increase in father involvement. We compare father involvement in children's education and childcare before and during the lockdown. Our findings partially corroborate the ‘needs exposure’ theory, which holds that greater awareness of family needs can boost fathers' engagement. Furthermore, they emphasize that, given the high likelihood of upcoming pandemics and other crises affecting family life, considerable steps should be taken to promote gender equality in the family and the workplace. Such actions might be advantageous for the health of both parents and children.