Parents of Minors and COVID 19
By Michael Huging
JRN 100 Staff Writer
A survey of U.S. adults conducted in 2021 by Pew Research Center interviewed parents of minors and found that their perceived ideal work situation changed since 2019, an opinion that was particularly present among mothers, whose preference to work for less or no pay at all increased significantly compared to fathers.
The study, 2020 Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel, is a continuation of a previous one conducted in 2019, where researchers asked parents of minors about their ideal work situation.
Preferences on type of employment and current employment situation differed between men and women, and the 2021 survey found that a year into the pandemic, on average, a mother’s perception on her ideal work situation shifted more significantly than that of men.
“No, the results did not surprise me at all,” said professor Jane G. Nash, a cognitive psychologist at Stonehill College, “I had previously heard about the findings.”
Overall, views on the ideal employment for a mother of a minor suggested a tendency towards working less – full-time employment lost eight percent of its votes since 2019 while working without pay increased by eight percent. These numbers might be explained by the wave of unemployment that hit the U.S. economy throughout the pandemic.
“Women are much more likely to be caregivers and they shoulder more of the responsibilities at home,” Nash said.
Isabella M. Martinez, 34, from Whitman, MA, and a mother of two sons, two and seven, saw her professional workload decrease in recent years.
Martinez worked full time as a nurse prior to the birth of her first child. She then reduced her hours and started working part time at another clinic until her second son was born two years ago.
Martinez said that while she does embrace her role as a stay-at-home mother, she does so in the context of her traditional and familial upbringing.
Though Martinez’s work situation was not significantly affected by the pandemic, her views solidified during that same period.
“I like my role as stay-at-home mother, and though I support this traditional role, I must admit that were times when I thought about working at least part time,” Martinez said, “but after this whole pandemic, I decided that staying at home is the right way to go, at least for us as a family.”
Her husband, Hendrix, a mechanic, briefly lost his employment during the pandemic. But he started working full time again in November 2020.
“Isabella and I are partners; we coordinate. If she wishes to work again, there is no problem, but I believe she currently relishes being present for our kids,” he said.
Men’s opinion on their ideal employment saw little variation, according to the study. In 2019 and 2021, about 8 in 10 men said the ideal employment for fathers of minors is full time.
Nash said that the pandemic disproportionately hit low-wage jobs, and women tend to occupy those positions. Many women also work in the health care industry. The pandemic made the sector even more dangerous, which led many mothers to stay at home.
The Martinez’s professional situation was little affected by the pandemic, as husband and wife had previously established a compromise, where their roles were divided and yet complementary.
Nash suggested that the recent shift in mother’s willingness to work without pay has to do with the pandemic.
“Kids are all-day at home and mothers had to take care of them, mothers had to teach their own children,” Nash said.
Nash added that this experience might have led mothers to accept their new role.
Nash does not think the move will turn back to pre-COVID 19 standards, at least not soon. She said that it might take years or even decades.
“Mothers settled into their new normal. Maybe that shows that women are adaptable. They can adapt to the situation pretty well,” Nash said.
Numbers support Nash’s remarks. Since the earlier study done in 2019, mothers across employment categories seem to have accepted their current status. 91% of full-time employed mothers like their employment status, as do 83% of part-time employed mothers, and 65% of stay-at-home mothers. Numbers are up from 84, 54, and 39, respectively.
Similarly, Martinez does not intend to join the professional work force anytime soon. She wants to wait until her children grow older and become more independent.
“We as parents always adapt to the new contexts of life and try to do what is best for our family, the COVID 19 pandemic merely represents another struggle that we must together overcome,” she said,” ultimately, it does not matter whether a mother works full time or stays at home, what matters is that kids experience parental affection and presence.”
Interesting piece! While being a mother is not a job, it sure sounds like a lot of work. While each family has different financial situations, I think that perhaps the children will benefit from spending more time with a parent.
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