Are women better than men at childcare?

[charlotteabigailharris]

I am currently a SAHM and have a 3yo DS and am 6 months pregnant.
I am doing an Economics degree with the open university and really could use your help for my dissertation....
I am researching whether it is accepted/not, that women are generally better than men at carrying out unpaid work - specifically childcare?
Let me know your thoughts,
Thank you.

Generally, I would say that women are more aware of potential dangers to children and are more watchful. The male attitude (generally) is that nothing is going to happen. Not intended to be a criticism of men btw.

My mother maintains that women see around corners and men don't. I don't think that has a high probability of being true but I do think that you wouldn't bother looking if someone else was doing it.

I feel the peer approval bar is lower for men than women. I frequently get condescending comments about how involved I am with DC, for a "man."

DW (and her friends) seems to think entertaining the kids should encompass a hefty amount of learning so shes trying to get the learning cards out or lets draw the solar system. Where as im happy to build a fort or play Dolls vs teddies.

Also, why am I expected to be the disciplinarian?

I actually think you're making a lot of sense, Yops, and it's a shame the core of your argument is largely being ignored.

Typically, and predictably, many posters on here seem to want it both ways; that women are just as good as men at absolutely everything, AND that women are better at childcare!

Ultimately, this kind of petty one-upmanship is self-defeating; you can't seriously demand absolute parity in the work-place and simultaneously expect primacy in the home. It stands to reason that if the majority of women continue to take years out of the workplace, they cannot demonstrate comparable experience and so can't demand identical levels of pay.

The logical answer would be for no retirement age, but a pension age based on years worked. Thereby, taking, say ten years out for childcare, would require ten years more paid work. This would also go some way to addressing the disparity in life expectancies (men paying far more into the 'pot', while drawing far less out, particularly post-retirement). That wouldn't be remotely popular on here though, I'll bet.

Barbarianmum, again, a self-defeating argument. If women are 'biologically programmed' to be better careers, would you say men are 'biologically programmed' to be betters hunters or fighters? More competitive and aggressive?

If so, then maybe they are better suited to the workplace, making money, scientific discovery and innovation? Maybe then all women should give up trying and stay at home knocking out children? I'd prefer to think such a viewpoint is reactionary nonsense.

Babycham is it not true that (some) men are "biologically programmed" to be better hunters and fighters? Whether I'm right or not I don't know but down to the differences in hormones. Men generally having higher testosterone.

Perhaps I'm wrong and outdated, not sure. I'm also not saying this has any impact on work life because there are always multiple ways to go about things.