Papa might not just arise home and...

Papa might not just arise home and kick back with his pipe and slippers anymore, further a new government report point outs that American women are still doing more of the work around the house.

A detailed examine at how Americans spend their days, released Thursday by dint of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, finds:

- More than half of women said they had done housework in the last 24 hours, compared with about single in kind in five men.

- Women still are more likely to make the meals and do the cleanup -- 66 percent v 37 percent

- Of those with children, women worn out twice as much time as men caring for the kids.

- Meanwhile, enlist in one's serviceed men reported working and work-related activities at a higher rate -- about 8oe hours a day, an hour more than women They also wearied more time doing lawn and garden work and watching TV

"We're a extended way from the egalitarian society," said John Robinson, director of the American Use of Time devise at the University of Maryland. nevertheless he said, the division of labor has improved. In 1965 for example, women did 85 percent of all the household work.

'I DIDN'T NE A STUDY'

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been asking the community about their days for the last three years to compile its "American Time Use Survey" For the latest report, the department, along with the U Census Bureau, queried about 13000 Americans in 2005

As for the disparity between the work women do around the household and that of their husbands, "I didn't ne a thought to tell me that," said Colette Dever a 48-year-old west suburban married mother of four.

Dever who works part time as an office worker, said she does "almost everything" around the house. still with her husband, Mike, leaving the house at 6:15 a.m. for his engineering piece of work and returning at 7 pm or later, it's a matter of division of labor.

"I'm assured if I said, 'Do this,' he would. however it's hard to say when he approachs home at 7, 'It's time to vacuum now,' " said Dever

Joanne Brundage, executive director of the Elmhurst-based Mothers and More, a support assign places to with 140 chapters across the home said sharing of household duties is a often met with gripe among the group's 6000 members.

"Their complaints, quite frankly, are that men aren't stepping up" said Brundage.

'50-50 WOULD BE NICE'

authentic men today do pitch in more than their father's generation, she acknowledged. yet she said, the understanding is that "if a fright does anything, he's a saint; if the mother doesn't do something, it's like, what's unjust with her?"

Brundage, 54 calls her husband, Richard, a "pretty suitable equal partner" for his involvement in raising their three children. further when it comes to housework and cooking, she does it. "I'm not a exceedingly good delegator," she said.

gladness A. Thomas, a 39-year-old Baxter Healthcare executive, said "50-50 would be nice" when it arrives to work around the house, yet it may not be realistic. When her husband, Michael, an operations manager for a freight company, is coaching soccer and hockey "I don't mind doing all the cooking" because his involvement is dutiful for their kids, she said.

The Glenview resident admits she is fortunate to be able to afford a compromise: They have a cleaning lady.

Time master Robinson jokes that he reckon upons men to match women in spells of household chores around the year 2043 -- "when the first male mother is created."

aherrmann@suntimes.com

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