On the second Sunday of May, the United States and many other countries celebrate Mother’s Day. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, mothers today deserve to be honored more than ever. The study shows that it has never been so difficult to be a parent – especially a mother.
By managing packed schedules and dealing with external influences, mothers have their hands full these days. There is broad public consensus that it is harder to be a parent today – especially a mother – than it was in the 1970s or 1980s. A total of 70% of the public says it is harder to be a mother today than it was 20 or 30 years ago, while slightly fewer (60%) say the same about being a father.
The study found that mothers are seen as having the hardest job, but they are also judged more harshly than fathers. More than half of Americans (56%) say that mothers are doing a worse job today than mothers did 20 or 30 years ago. In comparison, slightly fewer people (47%) say that fathers are doing a worse job than fathers did 20 or 30 years ago.
The biggest challenge in parenting today, according to both parents and non-parents, is dealing with external societal influences. Nearly four in ten Americans (38%) cite social factors when asked about the biggest challenge for parents today. Among the specific concerns mentioned are drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, and the impact of television and other media.
In addition to social influences, other perceived challenges in parenting include teaching morals and values, maintaining discipline, dealing with the financial aspects of raising children, and facing the educational system.
Women’s opinions on how well mothers are doing their jobs have changed little over the past few decades. In a 1997 Pew Research Center survey 
of women, the majority (56%) said that mothers of children under 18 were doing a worse job as parents than mothers did 20 or 30 years ago; in the current survey, 54% of women express this view.
As was the case two decades ago, middle-aged women are more critical of today’s mothers than younger women. A total of 66% of women aged 50-64 say that today’s mothers are doing a worse job. This compares to only 41% of women under 30, 56% of women aged 30-49, and 48% of women aged 65 and older.
Religious affiliation also influences opinions on motherhood. White evangelical Protestants are among the most critical of the work that today’s mothers are doing. More than two-thirds of white evangelicals (68%) say that mothers are doing a worse job today compared to mothers 20-30 years ago. This compares to 54% of non-evangelical white Protestants, 50% of white Catholics, and 47% of secular individuals.Working Mothers
The challenges of balancing work and family life and finding enough time to spend with children are greater issues for parents today, especially for women.
In the United States today, more than half of mothers with young children work, compared to about one-third in the 1970s. Working mothers are now the rule, not the exception.
Women have entered the workforce not only for professional satisfaction but also because they and their families need the income.
Some people still think that a “good mother” is one who leaves work to stay home with the children. However, no scientific evidence suggests that children are harmed when their mothers work. A child’s development is influenced more by the family’s emotional health, what the family thinks of the mother’s work, and the quality of childcare. An emotionally well-adjusted, well-loved, and well-cared-for child will thrive regardless of whether the mother works outside the home.
A mother who successfully manages both a job outside and motherhood provides a role model for her child.