---
title: "Mom’s Toughest Critics"
description: "Two of every three women ages 50-64 say today's mothers are doing a worse job as parents than mothers did 20 or 30 years ago -- the highest level of criticism among any age-sex group in the US population."
date: "2008-05-08"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2008/05/08/moms-toughest-critics/"
---

# Mom’s Toughest Critics

As was the case 10 years ago, middle-aged women are more critical of today’s moms than are younger women. Fully 66% of women ages 50-64 say today’s mothers are doing a worse job; this compares with just 41% of women younger than 30, 56% of women ages 30-49, and 48% of women ages 65 and older. Religious affiliation also influences views on motherhood. White evangelical Protestants are among the most critical of the job today’s mothers are doing. More than two-thirds of white evangelicals (68%) say moms are doing a worse job today when compared with mothers 20-30 years ago. This compares with 54% of white non-evangelical Protestants, 50% of white Catholics, and 47% of seculars. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/468/motherhood)