Lifestyle - India;Bringing up baby-96% dads leave it to mom

NEW DELHI: So you thought the Indian male was turning a new leaf? No such luck, ladies. The world may be toasting the metrosexual man; in India they still prefer to stick to their traditional role of the family breadwinner. Almost 96% want to have nothing to do with household chores or bringing up baby. Their excuse? Professional commitments leave them with no time to wash the dishes or change diapers. These findings came up in a recent study by ASSOCHAM, which looked at the changing socio-economic equation in urban families. The survey clearly shows that though the number of working women has gone up over the years, their role at home hasn't really changed. Household duties still remain primarily the woman's responsibility. Many strike a balance by sending their children to creches or tuition centres. This has put pressure on the family budget as well. Nearly 82% couples surveyed said their spending on tuition classes and play schools has gone up considerably. In 83% cases, the mother ended up helping the children with their school projects and in 79% cases, she chipped in with their reading as well. While some fathers (24%) said they got involved with their kids' homework, they did so only when their assistance was sought. The study also showed that children do better in school and are more likely to participate in extra-curricular activities if their fathers are more hands-on. Of course, the story is different for single parents. Almost 46% single fathers said they take out time for their children’s activities and school work. The study was carried out among 4,700 working parents across the four metros and cities such as Lucknow, Chandigarh, Pune, Bangalore, Ahemdabad, Udaipur, Shimla, Dehradun, Indore, Patna, and Kochi.