How Parents Balance Work & Kids

Both parents work full-time in nearly half (46%) of US two-parent households, according to a November 2015 Pew Research report.

• Time-Poor: More than half (56%) of working parents with children find it difficult to balance their work responsibilities and child-raising tasks. About four in 10 mothers who work full-time say that they always feel rushed and a similar number (39%) think they spend too little time with their children. Moms who don't work outside the household are twice as likely to say they never feel rushed as those who do.

• Moms Do More: Parents who are married or living with their partner believe that the mother does more child-related chores than the father. Close to six in 10 (59%) say that the mom takes on most responsibility in managing their kids' schedules and activities, whereas 36% think they share this role equally and just 5% say the father does more. Married or cohabiting parents agree that mothers are also more likely to take on the duty of looking after their sick children (55%) or tending to household duties (41%).

• Career Impact: While over two-fifths (41%) of working mothers believe that parenthood has hindered the advancement of their career, less than half that figure (20%) of working fathers reports this to be the case.

Brands should help parents achieve a better work-life balance with products and services that offer respite from daily demands – see Working Smarter and Compressed Calm for more.