'Having it all' - but only if he helps in the home

Working women whose husbands share the domestic chores are more likely to have a second child, according to research collated from British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) data. But when women shoulder most of the housework and childcare duties, it affects the chances of dual-income couples having a second - or even one - child.

The study, by Pia Schober of the London School of Economics, presented at the BHPS conference, found that if men share the childcare, or do more than a third of the housework, the likelihood of a second child rises by up to 50%.

The survey also found that traditional male breadwinner families are almost 50% more likely to have a second birth than dual-earner couples irrespective of men's domestic work contributions.

Schober comes to the "cautious" conclusion that a wider range of more family-friendly arrangements may provide greater choice.

"Since both partners need or want to work in many families and as this is increasingly seen as insurance in the case of relationship breakdown, more widespread and affordable day-care provision may be one means to reduce mothers' workload," she says.

Another suggestion from Schober is that, "fathers should take advantage of family-friendly arrangements in order to share more of the domestic work and care."

In other words, dads should starting donning the rubber gloves.

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