Fatherhood the key to two-child families

The recent announcement that China will relax its one-child policy immediately raised the question: will parents actually have a second child?

There are many reasons to want a second child, from the sheer delight of having more children to having that additional caregiver when we get old. But as every parent and grandparent knows, raising children is an expensive affair and requires a staggering amount of work.

Traditionally, around the world, most of the childrearing work has been the responsibility of women. It is mostly women who change diapers, cook meals, comfort children when they are upset, and look after their many needs. Many men have defined these tasks as women's work which is supposedly not as important and challenging as the "real" work of earning money.