Nearly half (47 per cent) of mothers are feeling burnt out trying to balance work and childcare responsibilities, according to a new survey by the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
The survey, which polled more than 1,500 working caregivers, found a vast majority (96 per cent) of moms agreed mothers and other caregivers have been significantly impacted by the pandemic and need more support.
More than a third (39 per cent) of moms said they’re struggling to keep up with work demands, up from 28 per cent in 2021. Additionally, two-thirds (67 per cent) said they’re concerned about their physical health, an increase of 12 per cent since last year, while another 67 per cent said they’re concerned about their emotional well-being.
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Mothers also said they often feel anxious (41 per cent), sad (24 per cent) and upset (22 per cent). By comparison, only a third (34 per cent) of fathers said they feel anxious and even fewer said they feel sad (14 per cent) or upset (14 per cent).
The survey also found moms said they do more than their spouse when it comes to managing their children’s schedules and activities (68 per cent compared to 23 per cent, respectively) and supporting their children’s education (58 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively).
They also do more than their spouse to find and make arrangements for their children when schools are closed (57 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively) and more than a third (37 per cent) of working mothers said they’ve put their career on the back burner to manage home and caregiving responsibilities.
Read: Women considering downshifting, leaving careers due to pandemic: report