Using the National Statistical Office’s Time Use Survey 2019, it is found that tertiary-educated mothers devote 159 more minutes weekly to childcare than non-literate mothers. While existing research highlights educated women’s withdrawal from the labour market, it is found that higher maternal education correlates with increased childcare time, irrespective of employment status and family structures. Educated working mothers often exhibit more intensive parenting, particularly in multigenerational households. This suggests that education enhances caregiving responsibilities or household bargaining power, challenging the notion that higher education leads to employment–childcare trade-offs.