The Fact
Pew Research Center’s historical time-use analysis found that mothers’ childcare time increased from about 10.2 hours per week in 1965 to 13.5 hours per week in 2011, even as mothers’ average paid work rose from about 8 to 21 hours per week.
What This Means
The shift into paid work did not simply replace time with children. Mothers were spending more time in paid employment and more direct childcare time, which means the household time squeeze showed up elsewhere—especially in housework, scheduling, multitasking, leisure, and the need to reorganize other household functions.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Modern Parenthood: Americans’ Time at Paid Work, Housework and Child Care, 1965–2011.