Welch’s data reveals why everyone should pay moms endless respect (and lots of cash!)
There’s a stereotype out there about the overworked, tired, constantly stressed mother. But before people laugh at this caricature, they should consider the facts.
A recent study shows that, on average, a mom spends 98 hours a week focused on work.
As well as their typical clock-in clock-out, earn-the-money work, this number is also made up of the total time spent looking after their children and tending to household chores.
Non-mothers that just read the 98 hours statistic may be shocked. Mothers, however, will probably think that the statistic is too low, considering how grueling the work can feel.
To put the finding into context, moms are effectively working two and a half full-time jobs.
Sadly, they’re only earning one paycheck, and in some instances only earning part-time wages.
The study surveyed 2,000 mostly exhausted American mothers. Welch’s decided to take data from moms with children aged between five and 12 to have a varied and reliable estimation.
But just how long on average do working mothers spend on their individual responsibilities?
That’s a hard question to answer. Any working mom will state that their roles blur and that different children have different needs. And as children grow up, the responsibilities shift.
However, the study gives some facts that provide context around the board.
Most women start their child-rearing responsibilities at 6 am. They won’t have any time to relax until at least 8:30 pm.
After that time, it’s a minefield of trying to relax and tending to more needs that the kids might need seeing to.
To make matters worse, the societal pressures can often make motherly duties even more intense. Mothers are expected to not just look after their children but turn them into little supermen. Between developmental games, educational trips and excessive homework assistance, (and that’s just scratching the surface) the world is telling moms one thing: spend any spare second focused on your kid.
With all that bearing down on moms, is it any surprise that the Welch’s study found that four out of 10 mothers claim their lives just feel like a series of ongoing tasks?
If all this sounds exhausting, then, well, duh! But what can be done to ease the pressures of the working day for moms?
Luckily, there’s a range of advice. And no matter a mom’s circumstances, there will usually be a way for them to ease the burden of motherhood.
The simplest way of making the 98 hour week easier is simply asking other people to look after the children more.
Many mothers worry about nagging their loved ones, but they should remember this: you are already working too damn hard!
Husbands, grandparents, friends and anyone close to you have an obligation to help someone working 98 hours a week!
And with the nine to five job, then the ball’s in the mother’s court. They may feel that they have to give 110% every minute and never complain. But consider this: the current unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been since 1969. This means that with less potential replacement employees, employers are more desperate to retain their staff than ever before.
Basically, bosses should be able to let their working moms have flexibility, or else!
It’s a pretty simple concept for employers to take on: If their working mom has more time to relax, then they’ll surely be more productive!
Perhaps, overall, the key to attaining more free time as a mother starts with self-realization. Moms are working damn hard! In fact, it’s almost 100 hours a week! They can and should ask loved ones for help! They can and should demand employers for flexibility!
After all, if they’ve managed to work 98 hours for weeks on end, then surely moms can do anything!?
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Source: Mother.ly
