Trabalho familiar: distribui？？o desejada do trabalho doméstico e cuidados dos filhos entre c？njuges

this study investigates the desired distribution of family labor between spouses who have jobs and children of 6 years or less. this is a quantitative study developed with the participation of 92 couples living in the city of rio grande, state of rio grande do sul, brazil. the desired distribution of housework and children care is predominantly an equal one, though the woman was seen as more responsible for the care of children. management/repairing were subitems of the housework analysis, and were considered to be activities that should be mostly done by men. knowing the changes of contemporary families will allow nursing to be less exclusionary and more flexible in its family nursing actions.