Second wave taking hit on working moms
Levels of stress, depression top that of men or women without children, survey finds
The second wave of COVID-19 has been tough on working moms, who report feeling more “anxious, stressed and depressed” and at much higher levels than men or women without children, says a new, national survey led by non-profit the Prosperity Project.
“Everyone knew having children at home like this, so much, was going to be really stressful and problematic and compounded by the economic crisis,” said project spokesperson Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, who is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and a senior consultant at the World Bank.
“You need to make sure the children are OK, and since women are the
primary ones to do this, it’s a lot of stress,” said the data scientist, who herself has kids ages one and five. “You want them to be fine — but you also need to make sure you don’t lose your job.”
The tracking poll, by the Prosperity Project and the CIBC, was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights and surveyed more than 1,000 adults at the end of January, following up on an earlier one last August.
It found that “mental health concerns are on the rise among Canada’s working women, especially mothers, as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.”
Among mothers who work, more than half — 52 per cent — say they are stressed, 47 per cent report anxiety and 43 per cent say they are feeling depressed. All of those rates are higher than childless women, of whom 36 per cent reported feeling stressed, 38 per cent anxious and 29 per cent depressed.
While working dads are also feeling pandemic pressure, they are at far lower levels than their female counterparts, with some 37 per cent reporting stress, 40 per cent reporting anxiety and 27 per cent feeling depressed, the survey found.
Among mothers’ worries are balancing work with child care and schooling, and they are more likely to think about quitting their job or taking reduced hours.
They also worry more about family finances, the survey found.
The Prosperity Project was founded in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, to do research and advocacy to ensure women don’t fall behind as the economy recovers.
Women have been the hardest hit by job losses during COVID-19 and typically take on the brunt of parenting responsibilities as well.
The Prosperity Project has been urging governments to develop a national child-care program to help women — something Kyla Ross, single mom to a five-year-old, says would be a huge help.
Initially, her son stayed at home to do online schooling, but she realized that it wouldn’t work in the long run.
“It was a challenge trying to do my job and parenting at the same time,” she said, adding stress is “elevated for women because we already carry the burden of emotional labour that men don’t carry as heavily.”
She, like others, didn’t want to call on her parents to help with child care, given the extra danger contracting COVID-19 poses to them.
“My parents are over 65, and I don’t feel comfortable using them for any child-care or support” during the pandemic, added Ross, who works in the arts and culture sector.
Toronto mom Stephanie Pickering and her husband spend their days juggling child care, work and her older child’s schooling.
Pickering is also studying online, full time, to become a Montessori teacher.
“I have days when I want to run away from this — what am I doing? Is this a good choice? We just literally feel like we are passing a flag in a relay race with parenting.”
She squeezes in her own homework when her kids, ages four and six, are in bed, and ends up going to sleep around 1 a.m.
Her big worry is the kids missing out on the benefits of being at school while learning from home and how that could impact their development during the crucial first six years of life.
“But in the grand scheme of things, what am I more haunted by?
“Am I more haunted by that lack of social interaction (or) am I more haunted by the longterm effects of the very unlikely chance of them getting sick? “I don’t have all the answers.” She said she’s also concerned that if she or her husband fall ill, it could lead to financial troubles.
But that said, being at home as a family during the pandemic has had a silver lining, Pickering also said.
“I wouldn’t change this year, which can’t believe I’m saying,” she said, adding she’s had time to connect with her kids. “Our home has been quite calm this year, we have been consistent and organized.”
The Pollara survey was an online sample of 1,003 adults. The margin of error on a similarsized probability sample is 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
“I have days when I want to run away from this … We just literally feel like we are passing a flag in a relay race with parenting.” STEPHANIE PICKERING TORONTO MOM