“Cats in the cradle:” Work-family conflict, parenting, and life satisfaction among fathers

Abstract

Using data from 1995 to 2016, we examined how work interference with family (WIF) and father involvement relate to life satisfaction synchronously as well as 10 and 20 years later with hypotheses informed by life course theory. Specifically, father involvement was tested as a mediator of the relationships from WIF to life satisfaction among 387 working fathers who participated in three waves of the Midlife in the United States data collection. Moreover, the moderating effect of gender egalitarian beliefs about childcare (GEBC) on the relationship between father involvement and life satisfaction was tested. To test hypotheses, a 5000 bootstrap path model was created wherein direct relationships from WIF (Time 1) to life satisfaction (Time 1, 2, and 3) were modeled as were indirect relationships via father involvement (Time 1); additionally, GEBC (Time 1) was set to moderate the relationships from father involvement to all three measures of life satisfaction. Results suggest WIF was negatively, and father involvement was positively, related to life satisfaction at all timepoints, and that father involvement partially mediated the relationship from WIF to life satisfaction across all timepoints. Results also suggest a stronger relationship between father involvement and life satisfaction among fathers with greater GEBC, which emerged for life satisfaction at Time 1 and at Time 3. Results inform on the short- and long- term ramifications of work-family decisions, with relevance for careers and wellbeing.