Moms are feeling the heat of back-to-school prep
Getting everything done in time for the start of the school year is no easy task, and one a new survey found often lands squarely on moms’ shoulders.
Evernote, a productivity app, surveyed 1,083 adults who identify as a mother to see just how much this season—and it does feel like an entire season—stressed them out. Surprising no one, the bulk of back-to-school responsibilities, including haircuts, shopping, school supplies, and appointment scheduling, are tackled by (exhausted) moms.
A Thread on #BackToSchool Burnout 🚌 We recently uncovered compelling data on the impact of back-to-school on mothers—from the frequency they are managing these tasks to the numerous roles they must partake in. https://t.co/mMoLdOEi6B (1/6) pic.twitter.com/iEfUvMWlCL
— Evernote (@evernote) August 23, 2022
More than a third (34%) said they handle everything related to preparing for the upcoming school year. Just over one-fifth (21%) of moms said they handled it by themselves “most” of the time, and just over one out of ten get equal help from a partner, which is sobering.
Over half (58%) of moms said that budgeting was one of the biggest concerns about back-to-school, spurred by the pandemic and inflation, and 57% reported that COVID safety concerns were also weighing on them.
Many mothers are single-handedly managing a multitude of back-to-school tasks every day or almost every day. (4/6) #BackToSchool pic.twitter.com/oFGpva4uhv
— Evernote (@evernote) August 23, 2022
Additional stressors included organizing drop-off/pickup schedules (54%), managing extracurricular activities (52%) managing school apps (44%), and finding/arranging childcare (35%). But we’re not done with the to-dos yet! More than half (58%) said they are solely responsible for meal-prep, including school lunches, and 39% are the sole support for homework.
Related: Viral Tweet Perfectly Captures the Invisible Load of Motherhood
Education and getting ready for school, like many things in our kid’s lives, seem to be ‘mom’s domain,’ regardless of whether we also have work outside the home. That, in addition to the always-present invisible mental load, means we often feel overwhelmed and in it alone.
More than 50% of survey takers reported that they handle the majority of back-to-school related tasks without help (3/6) #BackToSchool pic.twitter.com/GWwkLiFpE4
— Evernote (@evernote) August 23, 2022
Unfortunately, this often comes at the cost of our well-being. A quarter of moms surveyed said don’t have the time in a day to decompress. For those that do, 62% use it to have much-needed alone time, 52% spend time with friends and family, and 34% use it to enjoy their own activities. Let’s all tap our partners to get in the mix more, yeah? We all deserve less on our plates.
