LONDON, June 16 (UPI) -- Nearly eight of 10 British dads would prefer to stay home and look after the baby than work, a study published Thursday indicates.
Research by the Equal Opportunities Commission suggests most men want to devote more time to bonding with their children than their own fathers and grandfathers did, indicating a dramatic shift in male perceptions of fatherhood,
The results contrast to a similar survey by the commission 20 years ago when more than half of fathers questioned saw their roles strictly as breadwinners.
The commission questioned 1,200 fathers of children between the ages of 3- to 15 months. Nearly 80 percent of working dads said they would like to stay at home and look after their baby.
Nearly nine of 10 men felt as confident as their partner when changing diapers, feeding the baby and taking charge of childcare duties.
The commission sent a special Father's Day card to Prime Minister Tony Blair, calling for an increase in statutory paternity leave and the introduction of shared parental leave rather than transferable maternity leave.
