Study Finds Family and Friends Play Different Roles in Childcare and Everyday Support

New research from Finland suggests that while family members remain the primary source of help with demanding childcare responsibilities, friends are more likely to assist with everyday practical tasks. The findings, published in Evolution & Human Behavior, provide new insight into how support networks function in modern affluent societies.

The study is based on inclusive fitness theory, which proposes that people are more inclined to help close genetic relatives because doing so indirectly promotes the survival and reproductive success of shared genes. This is particularly relevant when the assistance involves raising children.

Previous research has consistently shown that people are generally more willing to help close biological relatives than distant relatives or unrelated individuals. However, other studies have suggested that friends can provide equal or even greater support, particularly in situations involving routine or lower-cost assistance.

How the Finnish study was conducted

Researchers analyzed data from the Generational Transmissions in Finland project, a large population-based survey examining social support. The survey was conducted by Statistics Finland in autumn 2018 and included 1,945 adults aged 19–56 years.

Participants completed either an online or paper questionnaire, with nearly 80% choosing the online format. For the present analysis, researchers included only respondents who had at least one living full sibling, at least one living friend, and complete survey data.

The final sample consisted of 1,254 participants. Respondents reported whether, during the previous 12 months, they had received three different types of support: practical assistance, financial support, and childcare assistance.

For sibling support, participants could report help received from up to four of their oldest full siblings. If multiple siblings had provided support, researchers selected the sibling who contributed the greatest amount of each type of assistance. Comparable questions were asked regarding the single friend who had provided the most help. Childcare questions were limited to participants with at least one child aged 13 years or younger.

Family remains central for childcare

The childcare analyses included 1,226 observations from 613 participants, while practical and financial support analyses included 2,508 observations from 1,254 individuals. The researchers also adjusted for factors including age, sex, education, financial situation, partnership status, and number of children.

Childcare support showed the clearest difference between siblings and friends. The predicted probability of receiving childcare assistance from a sibling was 45.5%, compared with 36.7% from a friend, indicating that siblings were significantly more likely to provide demanding childcare support.

These findings are consistent with inclusive fitness theory because helping care for nieces and nephews may indirectly improve the survival and future reproductive success of shared genetic relatives.

Friends help more with everyday tasks

Financial support was uncommon overall. Participants had a predicted probability of receiving financial assistance of 4.5% from siblings and 3.4% from friends, a difference that was not statistically significant.

The authors suggest that Finland's comprehensive welfare system and relatively low levels of financial hardship may reduce the need for informal financial support between individuals.

The pattern reversed for practical assistance. Respondents were more likely to receive help with everyday tasks from friends than from siblings, with predicted probabilities of 58.3% and 45.1%, respectively.

According to the researchers, friends may simply be better positioned to provide routine assistance because they often live closer, share similar lifestyles, or interact more frequently. Practical help also tends to require less time and commitment than childcare, making it easier for friends to provide.

Differences between men and women

The researchers also examined whether support patterns differed between men and women.

For childcare and financial support, there were no major sex differences. However, women were generally more likely than men to receive childcare assistance from both siblings and friends, likely reflecting the greater caregiving responsibilities that mothers often assume.

More noticeable differences appeared in practical assistance. Although both men and women relied more heavily on friends than siblings for everyday help, men showed an especially strong tendency to receive practical support from friends.

The authors suggest this may reflect differences in friendship styles. Male friendships often revolve around shared activities and practical cooperation, whereas female friendships tend to emphasize emotional support while still providing practical assistance when needed.

Study limitations and broader implications

The authors acknowledge several limitations. The survey did not include detailed information about the siblings' or friends' own health, employment, family responsibilities, or availability, all of which may influence their ability to provide support.

Another important limitation was the absence of information about geographic distance. Previous research has shown that friends frequently live closer than siblings, and physical proximity strongly influences the likelihood of providing face-to-face assistance.

The findings may also be specific to Finland, where generous public welfare services reduce financial pressures compared with many other countries. Different patterns of support may emerge in societies with weaker social safety nets or greater economic inequality.

Despite these limitations, the study highlights the complementary roles of family and friendship in modern support networks. Siblings appear to be especially important when help involves substantial commitments such as childcare, whereas friends are often the first people people turn to for routine, day-to-day practical assistance.

The study, titled Altruism among siblings vs. friends in a contemporary affluent population, was conducted by Antti O. Tanskanen, Mirkka Danielsbacka, and Robin I. M. Dunbar. It adds to growing evidence that both kinship and friendship continue to play essential but distinct roles in everyday social support.