by Gert Nzimiro

NewsMarch 29, 20190 comments

Working mothers are 40% more likely to be stressed than other people

As Mothering Sunday approaches the high streets lend themselves to the paraphernalia and merchandise that assert the importance of this most sentimental of weekends – and rightly so.

Cynically one can also interpret this as being the retailer’s opportunity to capitalize on taking money from those people seriously focused on finding that special gift and those just browsing but worried that they need to make the right choice …. commerce and sentiment make strange bedfellows indeed.

It is an appropriate point in time to turn our thoughts to working mothers whom according to an article I recently read in a national newspaper are 40% more likely to be stressed than other people. This statistic unsurprising aligns itself with the ongoing debate of mothers being able to advance their careers or hold down a job whilst nurturing their children as they would genuinely like to.

Making the uncomfortable trade-offs such as not missing the school play despite work commitments but taking calls at all hours in the evening from the boss is not a fictitious example – it happens every day. Working Mothers (and I am not trying to be controversial here) are also the  “CEO’s of the household” from the domestic chores to helping their children with homework and everything in between……. very stressful for sure

Having a work life balance is becoming a bit of a cliché and working mothers are the group most effected by trying to juggle raising a family and having the fulfillment of a rewarding and satisfying career

So, what is the solution? Businesses, government legislation and wider society have been tackling this issue in a variety of forms with a measure of success …….but 40% is a big number.

Honest forthright discussions between working mothers and employers do happen but only have positive outcomes within businesses that create an environment of empathy and understanding on the difficulties that working mothers truly face.