The evolving complexities of childcare
After
pregnancy and return to work, the next major upheaval for most working
parents happens when their child enters school and the childcare
arrangements they have come to rely on are suddenly upended. The
American education system hardly qualifies as full-time care. The
average school is closed for
29 days
during the 10 months a year when it is officially “in session.” These
days off, along with summer vacations and the perpetual misalignment
between the school day and the work day, all create gaps in childcare.
We’ve
found that these “care gaps” are often more difficult for working
parents to navigate than obtaining full-time care for younger children.
Many working mothers have reported feeling blindsided by the challenge
of securing and paying for quality care for school-age children. One
mother we interviewed was astonished to find her childcare costs did not
diminish significantly when her daughter transitioned to kindergarten
and, as a result, she and her partner had to reorient their family
budget.
Children
continue to need care even as they transition to middle and high school
and become more independent. Yet there are far fewer after-school
programs and care options available for tweens and teens. While high
schoolers require less supervision, they often lead busier lives and
need to be shuttled between activities, after-school jobs, and social
engagements.
Research
shows that, as with other childcare tasks, these responsibilities
continue to fall primarily on mothers rather than fathers. While care
for teens is less physically demanding and time intensive, it often
requires more emotional labor as children develop their own identities
and navigate complex social and emotional issues.
Unfortunately,
bosses and colleagues who may have been accommodating of a new mother’s
need to pump breast milk or take maternity leave are often less aware
or accepting of the demands a working mother faces as her children get
older. At the same time, job responsibilities are increasing as parents
move ahead in their careers. Sometimes the choices women make about work
and family can feel more difficult because of the invisibility of
mothering older children.
For
instance, a technical sales consultant we interviewed was conflicted
when offered a promotion that would require significant travel. She was
hesitant to accept the role because her youngest son was in his final
years of high school. When her children were younger, her managers would
actively help her think through work and family integration as she
considered new opportunities. However, this time it was as if everyone
seemed to forget she was a mother, and she worried she couldn’t be
transparent about her concerns. She ultimately turned down the
promotion.
The upside of parenting older children
Of
course, it’s not all bad news as children get older. The parents we’ve
interviewed have said that while the demands of work and family don’t
diminish, they become better equipped at integrating the two and more
forgiving of their missteps. They become skilled multitaskers and time
managers, laser-focused on what has to get done both at work and at
home. They also begin to realize the many ways in which their roles as
employees and parents are
mutually beneficial.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
attributes her success in law school in large part to being a parent,
writing, “Each part of my life provided respite from the other and gave
me a sense of proportion that classmates trained only on law studies
lacked.”
Expectations
also evolve as children grow older. Numerous women have told us that
they begin to feel more comfortable and confident in their identities as
working mothers. The
anxiety about being a “perfect mom” as well as a star performer
at work dissipates as they discover the work-family harmony that is
right for them. The feedback from their children also becomes more
positive: rather than asking why a parent works, teenagers often
express pride and interest in their parent’s job. Working mothers start to realize what research has already shown — that their careers have an overwhelmingly
positive influence on their children in the long run.
How to ride the transitions
What
can parents do to prepare for the transitions that will inevitably
arise as their children grow older? How can they manage the new
challenges while also reaping the benefits?
First,
families should anticipate (and budget for) new childcare arrangements
when their children enter school; they may need to secure after-school
and summer care months in advance. There will be unanticipated care gaps
due to snow days, early release, and unexpected meetings, so parents
should prepare one or two alternative care options as backup. As
children get older, parents should consider creative arrangements. A
teen may need a driver or a tutor more than someone to supervise them.
Most importantly, instead of thinking of childcare as a cost, consider
it an investment in both your career and your child’s well being.
We
also encourage working parents to cultivate networks of support, just
as they develop professional networks to advance their careers.
Research
shows that community support leads to less stress and higher job
quality for working mothers. When deciding where to live and work,
parents often focus on high-ranking schools but overlook other community
assets like after-school programs or fellow working parents who can
share carpool duties or childcare on snow days. It’s also important to
develop allies in the office who support your efforts to integrate work
and caregiving. And as managers and colleagues, we should be more aware
that parental obligations don’t end once children are in school.
As
for employers, it’s essential that they expand policies and practices
to support working parents with children of all ages. Generous parental
leave after birth is a start, but parents also need flexibility to
attend a teenager’s
a cappella
performance or step out of a meeting to problem solve a school pick-up.
Parents of teens with special needs will require even more flexibility
to meet with teachers and therapists and advocate for their child.
Supporting employees’ family needs helps them
thrive at work, which ultimately reduces turnover, absenteeism, and increases productivity.
Some organizations have become more creative in supporting parents with older children. Biotechnology company
Genentech
has partnered with an organization that helps employees find
high-quality programs for their children when school is not in session.
Johnson & Johnson provides financial assistance for the speech, occupational, mental health, and physical therapy needs of employees’ children.
Our
research has consistently found that parenthood is a continually
evolving path and each parent’s experiences and needs are unique. Being a
parent doesn’t end, it just changes form. By acknowledging this and
providing appropriate supports to parents throughout their children’s
lives, we can create better workplaces, stronger families, and healthier
communities.
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