Dads are helping out with childrearing more and more these days. The result can be both a boon and a letdown for super-moms, whose self-competence can take a hit when paired with husbands who are savvy caregivers, new research finds.
The findings reveal the fallout as women have entered the workplace in droves over recent decades, many of them leaving young children at home. One result is mothers have less time for care-giving. Past studies have shown working moms are torn between full-time careers and stay-at-home duties. And lately more diligent dads are helping out with the diaper-changing and other household duties.
But since mothers pride themselves on being just that - moms - their self-esteem can take a blow.
"While mothers are encouraged to join the workforce, socially constructed ideals of motherhood requires mothers to be primary caregivers," said study researcher Takayuki Sasaki of the Osaka University of Commerce in Japan. "Thus, employed mothers may feel pressured to do more care-giving to ensure the survival of their feelings of self-competence, even though they may wish for fathers' increased participation to lessen their burden."
Great. Now we're supposed to find that precise point between being a "deadbeat dad" and a loving father so that the moms don't get their self esteem all battered yet don't get to claim they are abandoned by the big jerk.
And as a bonus, I'm sure that the at-fault "socially constructed ideals of motherhood" were imposed by the male patriarchy that runs the world and secretly provides men with free beer, big screen TVs, and sporting event tickets. Once again, it's our fault.
It always is. That's the way it is. Luckily for women (and us, I admit), we're easily distracted into forgetting the unlevel playing field.
