Getting to a real partnership in life can be challenging. If you are a working mom, you are pulled in so many directions, it can be difficult to keep afloat.How many of us have heard the phrase, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"?
Although the phrase is funny, it has some serious implications. The phrase implies that the majority of families still operate from a traditional perspective. Mom keeps the house organized and functioning. Mom runs all the errands. Mom handles the majority of the child rearing, and now … Mom works, too. But where is Dad?
The problem is not that moms and dads are both working; the issue is that in more cases than not, Mom is still doing the majority of the running around. Dad is there, but he is not really as involved as he could be. This is either because he chose to operate this way or because Mom reinforced this traditional standard and has set this expectation.
Still, when Mom is trying to do all the family stuff and work too … Momma ain't happy.
According to a recent analysis, the division of labor is still very uneven when a husband and wife are both employed full-time. Specifically, the mother still does 40% more childcare and about 30% more housework than the average father. In fact, the study said that only 9% of dual-earning marriages share housework equally.
This is extremely disappointing, but--if we look around--not surprising. Consider these facts:
Working mothers are on the rise. In 2013, there were more working mothers, both full- and part-time, than ever before.
Of households with children, 40% of those families have working mothers.
Women make up 46.9% percent of the labor force as of 2012.
55.8% of all mothers with children under the age of one year are in the labor force.
Here's the good news: the role of what it means to be a mother, parent, and worker is evolving. The new modern American family is learning that we need to juggle work and family in order to survive. It is now becoming much more politically correct to have more-involved fathers and also less-overburdened mothers in parenting and household efforts. So as working mom numbers continue to increase it will only be a matter of time before all working people will be equally responsible for both income generation and household chores. This is wonderful news! Proud Working Moms, let's begin paving the way.
Although the phrase is funny, it has some serious implications. The phrase implies that the majority of families still operate from a traditional perspective. Mom keeps the house organized and functioning. Mom runs all the errands. Mom handles the majority of the child rearing, and now … Mom works, too. But where is Dad?
The problem is not that moms and dads are both working; the issue is that in more cases than not, Mom is still doing the majority of the running around. Dad is there, but he is not really as involved as he could be. This is either because he chose to operate this way or because Mom reinforced this traditional standard and has set this expectation.
Still, when Mom is trying to do all the family stuff and work too … Momma ain't happy.
According to a recent analysis, the division of labor is still very uneven when a husband and wife are both employed full-time. Specifically, the mother still does 40% more childcare and about 30% more housework than the average father. In fact, the study said that only 9% of dual-earning marriages share housework equally.
This is extremely disappointing, but--if we look around--not surprising. Consider these facts:
Working mothers are on the rise. In 2013, there were more working mothers, both full- and part-time, than ever before.
Of households with children, 40% of those families have working mothers.
Women make up 46.9% percent of the labor force as of 2012.
55.8% of all mothers with children under the age of one year are in the labor force.
Here's the good news: the role of what it means to be a mother, parent, and worker is evolving. The new modern American family is learning that we need to juggle work and family in order to survive. It is now becoming much more politically correct to have more-involved fathers and also less-overburdened mothers in parenting and household efforts. So as working mom numbers continue to increase it will only be a matter of time before all working people will be equally responsible for both income generation and household chores. This is wonderful news! Proud Working Moms, let's begin paving the way.
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