How Do Fathers Feel About Being Fathers?

The survey also asked fathers the extent to which they agree with several statements about fatherhood. Overall, fathers feel good about the job that they are doing as dads and about the value of their fathering to their families and society as a whole.

Fathers feel as positively about the care they provide and their role as fathers as mothers. The vast majority of fathers (82 percent) believe care work is valuable and are proud to talk about their caregiving with others. Even more fathers (93 percent) consider being an involved father to be an important part of being a man. They also believe care work in the home is as valuable as the paid work that takes place outside of it. These findings suggest it is not a lack of interest in caregiving or a sense that it is not valuable work that keeps fathers from doing more of it on a more frequent basis.