Working Parents Face a Unique Struggle, Survey Shows: ‘Tug of War Is Constantly on My Mind’
Here’s what a new Pew Research Center survey of 2,242 working parents found.
Key Takeaways
- A new Pew Research Center survey finds that the boundary between work and family has become more blurred than ever for most American households.
- The data shows that more parents than ever are in the workforce together and feel stretched thin by it.
- The Pew findings land amid a growing chorus of research pointing in the same direction.
When Amber Petersen sits down at her office desk each morning, two competing voices follow her in.
“I feel like that tug of war is constantly on my mind of where I need to be — if I am missing out as a mom, or if I am disappointing somebody at work,” she in a new interview. “There’s just no way to be two things at once and give 100% at both.”
Petersen works as a legal assistant at a small law firm in Mason City, Iowa. For millions of American parents, her words resonate — and a sweeping new survey confirms that they are far from alone.
A new of 2,242 working parents, conducted from March 2 to 15, finds that the boundary between work and family has grown blurred for most American households. The majority of full-time working parents (70%) say they handle parenting-related tasks during work hours, while 59% say they take care of work tasks while with their children. More than half (54%) said that balancing work and family responsibilities is difficult.
The numbers show a profound shift in how American families operate. As of 2025, just over half (52%) of couples with children under 18 have two full-time working parents, up from 31% in 1975. The data shows that more parents than ever are in the workforce together and feel stretched thin by it.
Mothers carry a heavier burden
The Pew Research Center survey’s most striking findings fall along gender lines. Among full-time, different-sex working parents, 62% of mothers said that it is difficult to balance work and family, compared with 47% of fathers.
Moms are also far more likely to feel unable to give their best. Nearly 70% of full-time working moms said that they couldn’t give 100% at home in the past year because of work-family juggling, compared with 50% of dads.
The imbalance extends into the home itself. In households where both parents work full time, 52% say the mother takes on more of the day-to-day parenting tasks, while only 10% say the father does more, and 38% say responsibilities are split equally.Ìý
About eight in 10 full-time working moms (81%) say they handle parenting tasks at work at least sometimes, compared with 62% of dads. As one mother in the survey put it: “I’m supposed to work like I don’t have kids and supposed to parent like I don’t have a job.”
Other surveys echo the struggle
The Pew findings land amid a growing chorus of research pointing in the same direction. A , conducted by the Harris Poll, found that 79% of working parents feel they must choose between making sacrifices at home or in the workplace, and 80% believe the workforce still hasn’t adjusted to the care needs of modern families.
Meanwhile, the found that 76% of working parents say becoming a parent boosted their motivation at work — but 50% still say the most valuable thing employers could offer is a more flexible work schedule, like a four-day workweek.Ìý
Key Takeaways
- A new Pew Research Center survey finds that the boundary between work and family has become more blurred than ever for most American households.
- The data shows that more parents than ever are in the workforce together and feel stretched thin by it.
- The Pew findings land amid a growing chorus of research pointing in the same direction.
When Amber Petersen sits down at her office desk each morning, two competing voices follow her in.
“I feel like that tug of war is constantly on my mind of where I need to be — if I am missing out as a mom, or if I am disappointing somebody at work,” she in a new interview. “There’s just no way to be two things at once and give 100% at both.”
Petersen works as a legal assistant at a small law firm in Mason City, Iowa. For millions of American parents, her words resonate — and a sweeping new survey confirms that they are far from alone.
