Even women who earn more money still do most of the work at home
In generations past, dads were the primary breadwinner, and moms (even those who worked outside of the home) were the ones responsible for all the mental work of keeping a family running: keeping track of homework and appointments, paying the bills. But now, 40% of families have the mom as the primary breadwinner yet they are still doing the majority of that tedious mental work at home, according to the fourth annual report in the Modern Family Index (MFI) series, commissioned by childcare provider Bright Horizons.
The Modern Family Index polled 2,082 American workers with at least one child under the age of 18, which revealed that among those shouldering the bulk of support with their salary, 76% of breadwinning mothers are keeping track of their children’s schedules vs. 22% of breadwinning dads. They are also three times more likely to volunteer at school (63% vs. 19%) and nearly twice as likely to make sure all family responsibilities are handled (71% vs. 38%).
While these working moms juggle family responsibilities, they also claim to be fulfilled by their careers. However, the report finds that:
- 69% of working moms say their responsibilities create a mental load
- 52% are burning out from the weight of their household responsibilities
Some fathers wish they could contribute more. The report finds that fathers are 32% more likely than mothers to say they would give up a 10% raise for more family time.
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