Every once in a while it’s nice to have major quantitative data validate what you already know (and live). To wit, some recent findings fielded by the U.S. government, through Census studies and other federally-funded research, that should be heartening, if not exactly shocking…
Why We’re Not Anomalies
New analysis of U.S. census data shows that fewer moms are staying home full-time with their kids. Impelled without a doubt by shifting imperatives brought on by the recent recession, the number of working moms rose slightly from 77% in 2010, from 76% in 2007. This has created the highest rate of moms in the workforce since 2001.¹ (Even if it often doesn’t feel this way)!
After reviewing FIFTY years’ worth of research, it was conclusively found that kids of moms who work are just as well equipped academically and behaviorally as children of moms who stay at home.²
In fact (no surprise to us), researchers found that kids often benefit from having a working mom; notably, working during years two and three “appeared to be advantageous for children’s achievement.”²
And Why We’re Tired
Working mothers are two-and-a-half times as likely as working fathers to interrupt their sleep to take care of others (editorial note: my husband deserves a call-out as an appreciated exception to this).³
Women are not only more likely to get up at night to care for others, their sleep disruptions last longer— an average of 44 minutes for women, compared to about 30 minutes for men (editorial note: because once we are up, the mental lights are on and the to-do list starts ticking away)³
One of the most surprising findings from this research: there is a gender difference in who gets up in middle of the night — even after adjusting for the employment status, income and education levels of each parent. When, among parents of infants, there is a sole breadwinner for example, it was found that 28% of women who are sole breadwinners get up at night to take care of their kids, compared to just 4% of men who are the only earner.³
Conclusion? We deserve a little appreciation – and a little rest…
¹U.S. Census Report, November 2010
²Study published in American Psychological Association’s Psychological Bulletin, October 2010
³U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR), the first known nationally representative data documenting substantial gender differences in getting up at night, mainly with babies and small children.