This report is the sixth in a series which together charts the journey of Scottish fatherhood during a truly remarkable and tumultuous period.
From the first national lockdown in 2020 we have captured the voices of over 2,300 ordinary Scottish dads. And provided a glimpse into these fathers personal lives - tragedies, triumphs, struggles and moments of joy. It also delivers insights into the changes in behaviors and attitudes of fathers over time.
Between 1-30 June we asked dads to participate in our 2024 survey. 408 fathers responded. What they told us paints a vivid picture of family life and of modern fatherhood hanging in the balance!
We want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to every dad who took the time to share their unique experience. We hope that the findings from this survey, and the voices of these dads, will be heard - allowing politicians, policy advisors, service managers, practitioners and employers to understand and make the changes needed to uphold the UNCRC and better support dads and their families.
Watch DADx Talk:
Context
This year started with welcome news that Royal assent was granted for the UNCRC Bill, and that it would be incorporated into Scottish law later in the year. UNCRC clearly emphasises the shared responsibility of both parents in raising their children, as is the Government's role in supporting all parents in doing so.
In contrast, continued financial pressure was creating considerable strain on already fatigued families. Although inflation fell significantly to 2% in May 2024, the UK parliament reported that consumer prices had risen by 20% in three years to May 2024. In the same period food prices rose by 31%. An Understanding Scotland report from May 2024 described: “The Ripple Effects of Worsening Financial Wellbeing” it revealed:
“More than half of Scots report deteriorated financial health compared to the previous year. This decline is associated with significant impacts on mental and physical health, interpersonal relationships, and effectiveness at work, highlighting the profound impact of financial strain on overall wellbeing and the interconnectedness of individual financial wellbeing and broader societal welfare.”
In June the Government revealed 24% of Scottish children were living in relative poverty, 70% of these children were living in working households. The new First Minister, John Swinney, was determined to address these challenges and in his first speech to the Parliament stated that: “My first priority is to eradicate child poverty… This will be the single most important objective of my Government and my Cabinet.”
What we Wanted to Find Out
Given the considerable pressure many families continued to face we wanted to know if: ‘The quiet childcare revolution’ - which saw a significant increase in the time spent by fathers on unpaid childcare post COVID - had faltered? How were dads coping with balancing their work and family life? Was their wellbeing, and family relationships suffering?
Dads remain committed to positive engagement with their children and families post-COVID despite increased financial pressure.
Years on from the early days of COVID — when many dads were given the opportunity to connect more with their children - the impact not only endures but continues to grow.
Astonishingly, almost half of dads (40%) are spending 25 or more hours each week playing or supporting their children’s learning which is the highest figure we've recorded yet. This increases to 54% among dads with children between the ages of one and two.
“My children and I love being creative; engaging in any form of arts and crafts is our favourite way to spend time together.”
"My kids love "rough and tumble" play where they are picked up, bounced around and can climb over me. They can test boundaries and their ability in a supportive environment where I will keep them safe.”
Our survey revealed that dads from Scotland’s most deprived areas (SIMD 1) are spending the most time with their children, with 49% dedicating 25 hours or more per week—15% more than dads in the least deprived areas (SIMD 5).
However, despite this overall commitment from fathers across Scotland, there is a concerning shift: dads are spending less time with their newborns, with time spent dropping from 53% in 2022 to 40% this year. This is a worrying finding, as time spent together in the early years is crucial for bonding and their child’s development.
Many more dads are struggling to balance work and family life particularly new dads and dads on the edge of poverty in the ‘pressured middle’.
As the cost of living crisis places a greater financial strain on households, the challenge of balancing work and family life has increased, with half of working dads (51%) describing the balance of work & family life as ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’. This marks a significant increase, more than doubling the percentage from 2022 (24%). Within the last year alone, the number of fathers telling us that it is ‘very difficult’ has doubled from 6% to 12%. And for new dads the challenge is even greater, with 57% struggling and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) saying that balancing work and home life is ‘very difficult’.
Although the strain is being felt across the country, the challenge of this balance appears to be affecting fathers and families most predominantly, not from the most deprived areas (SIMD 1) or the least deprived (SIMD 5), but rather it is the 'pressured middle' of SIMD 2 & SIMD 3. In fact, almost one in five dads (17%) from these communities report finding it ‘very difficult’ to balance work and life, which is double the rate of those in SIMD 5.
“Cost of living has added tremendous financial pressure, which has doubled the pressure felt at work. I'm finding it difficult to be a good dad/husband and solve our money problems.“
“Worried about money and work-life balance. Can’t afford not to work as much as I do. Cost of living really biting - seem to keep racking up debt but don’t qualify for help as we both work.”
Despite the growing challenge of supporting their families while also being present for them, dads remain determined to spend as much time with their children as possible. Nearly half of dads with children under 1 (45%) reported feeling 'almost never' or 'not often' satisfied with the amount of time they can spend with their children and family.
"Feel I am letting down both children as I have no time to be "fun" with them during week, only do the functional stuff (bath time, bedtime) needed after work.”
Poor mental health is at a record high, and fewer dads than ever are seeking support.
Intense financial pressures are pushing fathers to their limits, as the struggle to provide for their families and the desire to be present for their children compounds stress and takes a heavy toll on their mental health.
Nearly half of all dads (48%) told us their mental health was either 'not great' or 'very poor'—more than double the number in 2023. Additionally, the percentage of dads reporting the lowest mental health rating, ' very poor', is steadily increasing from 6% in 2022 to 10% in 2024. These alarming figures highlight that dads' mental health has deteriorated significantly over the last two years.
Work pressures (40%) and financial strain (30%) were reported as to two main factors affecting wellbeing of dads who reported that their mental health was deteriorating:
“Worried about money and work-life balance. Can’t afford not to work as much as I do. Cost of living really biting - seem to keep racking up debt but don’t qualify for help as we both work.”
However, more than 55% of dads pointed to multiple factors. It’s rarely just one issue but a combination of interconnected struggles. As one dad put it, "Everything is going wrong".
“Terrible Finances, no support network, had to relocate from home city due to cost of living and housing crisis. Lost all friends, never see extended family, new job without any scope for sociability and with no flexible working. My partner is struggling even more than me and I’ve nearly ended our relationship several times in the past 6 months.”
Once again, dads in SIMD 2 stood out, with one in four reporting 'very poor' mental health—double the average of one in ten. However, the most vulnerable continue to be those with little or no contact with their children, with four in ten indicating their mental health is 'very poor.'
“I've not seen my kids for over 18 months. I recently had to stop fighting through court to see them after doing everything I was asked. Being told that they don't want to read my letters let alone see me, shattered my already broken heart.”
Sadly, despite these strenuous times, the number of dads who have not sought support has more than doubled from 6% in 2022 to 15% in 2024. This concerning trend reveals that countless dads are navigating their struggles alone, feeling isolated and left without the support they need:
“I haven't looked for help, it's easier to just push through.”
What are we calling for?
As dads become increasingly involved in their children’s lives it's crucial that both parents are treated as equal caregivers by services, to ensure the best outcomes for children.
Research clearly shows that children of positively involved fathers are more likely to be smarter, healthier and more resilient. The responsibility both parents share for bringing up their child is clearly asserted in the UNCRC, as is Government responsibility to help all parents raise their children. Yet dads often don’t believe that children and family services value their input or make an effort to involve them. With 24% of children in Scotland living in poverty, if we want to mitigate the poverty-related attainment gap widening over a child's lifetime, it is crucial to nurture strong family relationships and supportive parenting right from the start. We urge service providers, particularly those working with the most disadvantaged families to think about how to welcome and support dads who are increasingly involved in their children's lives and uphold the UNCRC.
With new dads finding the transition into fatherhood more difficult than ever, it is critical that the UKs parental leave is reformed to ensure it is: affordable for parents to take, gives a substantial allowance of time, and supports equality among parents.
The UK’s statutory paternity leave is the worst in Europe. Dads and other co-parents get only two weeks off, paid at less than £185 a week. The research is clear, adequate paternity leave is good for: Mums - reduces the gender pay gap and rates of postpartum depression; Dads - leads to better bonding with children and happier, healthier lives; Children - improves their wellbeing and performance at school. Paternity leave in the UK should be: Substantial - gives dads enough time off to support their partner and bond with their kids, without taking leave away from mums; Affordable - paid at a rate that means everyone can afford to take it; Equal - Gives both parents equal leave, so mums and dads are free to shape their own roles in the family, not have them dictated by gender.
As we contend with the most severe economic crisis in a generation, the Government must support the whole family around every child, and the services that assists them.
Our survey shows the serious impact worsening financial wellbeing is having on dads in general, with almost half of all dads surveyed telling us their mental health was either ‘not great’ or ‘very poor’, more than double the number of dads in 2023 (23%). It has highlighted the disproportionate and growing effect this is having on dads with children two years and under. It is also affecting dads in the most deprived areas and alarmingly creeping into previously secure middle income families. Although we welcome the Government's focus on tackling child poverty, we must ensure that the support for families is holistic and also seeks to help those at risk of falling into poverty. The services that assist these dads and families have not been immune to the economic crisis and funding continues to present a serious challenge. As a matter of urgency we are calling for the Government to ensure that appropriate and sustained levels of funding are available to ensure more families are not driven into poverty and crisis.
Background to the Series
The COVID Effect:
Before the Spring 2020 lockdown mothers in couple households in the UK were contributing almost twice as much unpaid childcare as fathers. During the first lockdown we found fathers’ stepping up to do much more hands-on caring of their children - ONS data confirmed what we were seeing - for every hour spent by mum dads were spending 53min. In 2022, as ‘life returned to normal’, we anticipated that dads levels of unpaid childcare would snap back to pre-pandemic proportions. Happily we found this was far from the case, with the ONS once again confirming our survey findings - an 18% increase in fathers unpaid childcare from pre- to post COVID. Lockdown had transformed dads' relationship with their children and sparked a quiet childcare revolution, with more and more fathers wanting to be present and positively involved.
The Impact of a Global Economic Crisis:
As COVID restrictions and regulations eased a global economic crisis was gathering force. The cost of living across the UK began to soar, and in October 2022 inflation hit a 40 year record high of 11.1%. In April 2023 the Scottish Government announced “People all across Scotland are being affected by the most severe economic crisis in a generation”. Our 2023 survey showed that despite the crisis dads were continuing to put their family first, as time spent caring for their children reached a new high. However, dads also told us how difficult they were finding striking a balance between being a provider and caring for their children and the importance of family-friendly work.
For more information about our survey and findings, please contact our director, Cathy Sexton: [email protected]