Satisfaction with work-life balance: Couples with Egalitarian practices in their transition to first-time parenthood in Spain

Abstract

This study analyses dual-earner couples' subjective satisfaction with work-life balance after having their first child. We draw on a longitudinal qualitative analysis of 31 Spanish couples who showed an egalitarian division of housework prior to childbirth. Participating couples were interviewed during pregnancy and about 18 months after the birth. We analysed individuals' subjective feelings of satisfaction with the way that childcare was organised. The study reveals that half of the couples moved towards a traditional gender division of childcare, but that this did not necessarily entail dissatisfaction with work-life balance. Satisfaction with work-life balance is less dependent on specific arrangements than on whether initial expectations are fulfilled.