The results further revealed that not only adult free time, as expected, but also free time in the company of children and family was associated with higher emotional well-being. However, two important gender differences were revealed: mothers derived less enjoyment from leisure when their children were present but felt more engaged in their absence than did fathers. It could be that because mothers have fewer opportunities to spend free time on their own than are fathers, they may be less inclined to take adult free time for granted, appreciate it more, and consequently feel more engaged. Unlike previous research suggesting that women have a limited ability to enjoy leisure due to their family obligations, the mothers in this study seem to have been adept at leaving their concerns about family matters behind when they spent time in adult leisure. By contrast, because fathers spend on average less time with their children, they may value free time in the company of children highly and therefore derive more enjoyment from these activities than do mothers. It could also be that fathers receive more social acknowledgment from their surroundings when they engage in leisure activities with their children or that they are less constrained by childcare obligations and exercise more choice in their interactions with children than mothers.