When Mom Earns More Than Dad: The Parenting Experience in Light of New Earning Patterns

The study examined the relationship between a mother’s earning advantage over her husband, and three aspects of the parenting experience: the cognitive aspect (examined through the concept of parental self-efficacy), the emotional aspect (examined through the quality of the relationship with the children), and the behavioral aspect (examined through parental involvement in childcare). The sample included 246 Israeli Jewish participants who were not married to one another and do not share a household (85 fathers and 161 mothers). Fathers with traditional gender role attitudes whose income is lower than that of the mothers scored lower than other participants on paternal self-efficacy, and experienced less closeness and lower satisfaction in their relationship with their children, regardless of gender. The findings indicate that fathers who hold traditional gender role attitudes and do not serve as main providers constitute a particularly vulnerable group in terms of the parenting experience.