Fathers declare 'Daddy Wars' for lead role in childcare

London, Jan 22 : Men seem to have declared a war against their partners to become the 'number one parent', says a new research.

The phenomenon, dubbed "Daddy Wars", is seeing professionals married to equally successful women trying to become far more involved in their kids' lives.

According to Dr Caroline Gatrell, author of 'Hard Labour: The Sociology of Parenthood', said that fathers, having lost their traditional roles as breadwinners, are now challenging mothers' 'sphere of influence' in the house.

It is so because they feel that it is the only remaining area in which they could exercise authority.

She said that children, not money, are said to be the source of power struggles between the sexes.

"These men want to continue with their careers but be the number one parent at home. They realise that jobs are not for life, relationships are often not for life, but children are for life and they want to put their investment in the right place," the Telegraph quoted Gatrell, as saying.

Gatrell said that men viewed playing with their children as more worthwhile because it "strengthened the paternal sphere of influence", while indirect child care tasks such as sweeping the floor were "tedious and did not augment fathers' power".

Gatrell, a lecturer at Lancaster University Management School, is publishing her research, 'Whose Child Is It Anyway? The Negotiations of Paternal Entitlements Within Marriage', next month in the peer-reviewed Sociological Review.

The research is based on interviews with 20 highly qualified, professional couples who had children under five.

Seven women worked full-time, of which six were the main breadwinners within their households. Thirteen women worked part-time. Only one father was at home full-time, while the majority worked full-time.

ANI