Motherhood & Fatherhood

Mental health concerns top the list of worries for parents, followed by concerns about their children being bullied. The vast majority of parents say being a parent is enjoyable and rewarding all or most of the time, but substantial shares also find it tiring and stressful.

Widespread child care challenges from the coronavirus pandemic lasted into 2021 for some U.S. parents.

Here is what Center surveys show about American moms’ experiences juggling work and parenting responsibilities during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The share of mothers who said it would be best for them to work full time dropped from 51% to 44% between 2019 and 2020.

The pandemic has presented challenges and obstacles for many Americans, but one group has been getting a lot of attention lately: moms.

52% of employed parents with children younger than 12 say it has been difficult to handle child care responsibilities during the pandemic.

Balancing work and family duties brings challenges for working parents. Yet many say working is best for them at this point in their life.

The changing role of fathers has introduced new challenges as dads juggle the competing demands of family and work.

American motherhood has changed in many ways since Mother’s Day was first celebrated more than 100 years ago.

More than 11 million U.S. parents – or 18% – were not working outside the home in 2016. The stay-at-home share of U.S. parents in 2016 was almost identical to what it was in 1989, but there has been a modest increase among fathers.