The Impact of COVID-19 on Working Moms

The novel COVID-19 outbreak has presented challenges for everyone on a global scale. The effects of the pandemic, however, have hit working moms hard in particular. With schools and child care centers closed, many parents are struggling to juggle working remotely with children at home.

Working Moms Struggle to Stay Engaged at Work

Balancing work while parenting has never been easy. Throw in managing children’s distance learning while working remotely, and it is no surprise that many working moms are feeling overwhelmed and struggling with productivity right now.

In fact, 81 percent of working mothers reported that their ability to engage effectively at work has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, according to a recent study conducted by Bonnier Custom Insights, a division of Working Mother Media’s parent company Bonnier Corporation.

More than half of the respondents (55 percent) pinpointed anxiety or stress due to current uncertainty in their personal life as the reason why they are struggling to engage effectively at work. Similarly, over a third named family pressures as the culprit to their decreased engagement at work.

“They are the canaries in the coal mine. This doesn’t mean the rest of employees are just fine, but right now one of the groups we find are disproportionately impacted are working moms,” states Dr. Laura Sherbin, economist and managing director at Working Mother Media’s Culture@Work.

Faced with a daunting schedule packed with virtual meetings for both themselves and their children, it is understandable why many moms are finding it difficult to concentrate at work. With women making up more than half of the U.S. workforce, it is imperative for both families and the economy that working mothers feel supported and have access to resources they need.

How Au Pairs Can Help

One way working moms can feel supported is through the help of an au pair. Having an au pair join your family can make working from home with children much less stressful. Au pairs can provide live-in child care assistance and work a flexible schedule that can meet your family’s needs during these unprecedented times. Plus, your family can benefit from the meaningful experience of cultural exchange!

Au pairs can help your family establish a routine while keeping children engaged at home. From helping with children’s meals to keeping little ones active outdoors, au pairs can help limit interruptions from children while parents work from home. Au pairs can share songs from their culture with children, introduce children to a new language, work on craft projects, help keep children connected during social distancing, and much more!

Additionally, au pairs can help parents find some much-needed time for themselves. With 27 percent of working moms rating their emotional state as poor or terrible in the recent Bonnier Custom Insights survey, it’s more important than ever that mothers have the ability to prioritize their emotional wellbeing. Together, working parents and au pairs can create a schedule for children that allows parents to devote more attention to work – and self-care.

The convenience and flexibility of live-in child care assistance can help simplify the busy lives of working moms and give them the work-life balance they need. Undoubtedly, an extra set of hands can provide stability and comfort for children while easing the anxiety and stress of parents during these chaotic times.

Au Pair in America recognizes the challenges faced by working parents during the current pandemic. Learn more about how hosting an au pair can help your family.

The post The Impact of COVID-19 on Working Moms appeared first on Kid Notes: The Au Pair in America Blog.

Source: of america