Fathers under pressure to provide for their families

The Telegraph has a story about research that has been carried out into the attitudes of 2,500 dads who work full time towards family life. 

Asked to identify the roles they perceived as their key responsibilities within the family unit, three quarters said they saw themselves more as a breadwinner than as a father.

Just one in two identified 'father' as their first priority while a similar number picked 'husband'. Other roles which many of them they felt they occupied were 'gardener', 'driver', 'repairman' and 'chef'.

The study, carried out by discount voucher site Savoo.co.uk to mark Fathers' Day, also found seven out of ten fathers would like more time with their kids.

A spokesman for Savoo.co.uk said: ''It's worrying so many dads see their role as putting food on the table, rather than as a father figure".

You can say that again, but we need to ask why it is that they feel under so much pressure to provide. Could it be that the world of work is not really geared towards family life? It would also have been interesting to ask the women in these family units for their perceptions, both of their partners and of themselves.