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Which is a disadvantage of being a working mom?

Being a working mom is a challenging balancing act. While going to work provides financial stability, independence, and career satisfaction, it also comes with trade-offs. Working moms have to juggle caring for their children, managing a household, and having a career. This can lead to disadvantages compared to moms who stay home full-time.

Time Poverty

One of the biggest disadvantages of being a working mom is having less time to get everything done. With hours spent at work and commuting, working moms have less time for housework, childcare, meals, and leisure. This “time poverty” can lead to feeling constantly rushed and overwhelmed.

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 60% of working moms say they don’t have enough leisure time. Working moms get an average of just 14 hours per week of personal time compared to moms who are stay-at-home parents. Working moms also spend nearly twice as much time doing housework.

Task Stay-at-home moms Working moms
Housework 18 hours/week 32 hours/week
Childcare 47 hours/week 26 hours/week
Personal time 32 hours/week 14 hours/week

This time crunch forces working moms to become masters of multitasking and organization. However, it can also lead to missing out on important moments and feeling like there are not enough hours in the day.

Guilt Over Being Away from Kids

Many working moms feel guilty about spending a large part of the day away from their children. Even when children are at school or daycare, working moms miss out on time in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings with their kids.

According to a poll by CareerBuilder, 74% of working moms said they experience at least some guilt about being away from their children during working hours. The most common times for working parent guilt are when leaving for work in the morning (52%), missing events and activities during the workday (51%), and getting home late from work (50%).

Working moms also report feeling judged for prioritizing their career. Stay-at-home moms sometimes criticize working moms for being “less involved” while some working women think those moms who stay home are wasting their potential. This stereotyping can fuel the guilt emotions many working moms already feel.

Greater Stress

Trying to balance a career with caring for a family leads to higher stress levels for many working moms. In fact, 56% of working moms say they feel stress all or most of the time.

There are multiple sources of stress that contribute to this:

  • Morning rush getting everyone ready and out the door for school/daycare and work
  • Worry about children’s well-being when away at work
  • Pressure to perform at the highest level in their career
  • Overloaded schedule leading to constantly feeling rushed
  • Lack of time for self-care and rest
  • Financial stress if living in a single income household

This daily stress can take a toll both physically and mentally. Working moms have a higher risk of health effects like depression, anxiety, headaches, and weakened immune systems. Finding ways to manage and relieve stress is critical for working moms.

Less Flexibility for Sick Kids

When children get sick, working moms often face hard choices. Taking time off work frequently is not feasible, but sick children need care. Working moms may have to rely on limited sick days, work from home options, or help from a spouse or grandparent on these occasions. Others may have to send mildly ill children to school to avoid missing work.

Most daycare centers and schools have strict sick policies that require keeping children home for 24 hours or more after things like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or communicable diseases. Single working moms and those without family help can face real hardships when these situations arise.

The CDC estimates that U.S. parents lose nearly $3 billion a year in wages when staying home to care for their sick children. While necessary for kids’ health, frequent child illness is a challenge that adds stress and costs for working parents.

Mom Penalty on Earnings

The “mom penalty” refers to research showing that working mothers tend to earn less than women without children and men in general.

Group Median Annual Earnings
Fathers $55,000
Childless Women $49,000
Mothers $43,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

This gap comes from a variety of factors including career interruptions for childbearing, bias against mothers, lack of flexibility leading to limited advancement, and increased likelihood of part-time work.

The mom penalty contributes to the overall gender pay gap and is estimated to account for about half of the earnings difference between women with and without children. For many working moms, this financial hit is an ongoing disadvantage.

Greater Chances of Burnout

Burnout is a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. It happens when people feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. Working mothers are at high risk for burnout due to trying to balance multiple responsibilities.

In a survey by FlexJobs, 65% of working moms said they feel burned out “often” or “sometimes” during an average work week. Contributing factors include:

  • Work overload – lack of reasonable boundaries around tasks and hours
  • Lack of control over schedule, ability to take time off
  • Insufficient support system at home and work
  • Poor self-care – no time for fun, relaxation, exercise
  • Unrealistic expectations of themselves to “do it all”

Burnout causes both mental and physical problems. It is linked to increased stress, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, heart disease, impaired memory, and weakened immune system.

For working moms, burnout can also lead to reduced productivity and effectiveness at work along with impatience, anger, or withdrawal from family. Finding better life-work balance is essential to avoid burnout.

Increased Challenges with Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is difficult for all working parents. But most surveys find that working moms bear the brunt of parenting and household responsibilities even when both parents work.

According to Pew Research, 50% of working moms say they do more childcare than their spouse compared to just 8% of working dads. Working moms also take on more household chores.

Household Task Done mainly by moms Shared equally Done mainly by dads
Laundry 49% 31% 7%
Cleaning 50% 31% 12%
Cooking 45% 40% 13%
Grocery Shopping 48% 37% 10%

Source: Pew Research Center

This uneven division of labor at home leaves working moms with a “second shift.” It contributes to the feelings of constant time shortage and burnout. Achieving true work-life balance requires rethinking household responsibilities.

Conclusion

While being a working mother has many rewards, it also comes with disadvantages. Working moms face constant challenges like time poverty, guilt, inflexibility, and burnout. The key is to acknowledge these difficulties and seek solutions through better support, priorities, boundaries, and self-care. With the right strategies and systems, working moms can thrive both at home and in their careers.