What full-time working moms and dads want, by the numbers

June 20, 2026 - 15:13

A new survey reveals the daily balancing act of full-time working parents. According to the data, a majority of mothers and fathers who work full-time report that they sometimes handle parenting duties while on the clock, and just as often find themselves doing work tasks while at home.

The numbers paint a clear picture of blurred boundaries. Roughly six in ten working parents say they have taken a work call or answered an email while caring for their children. On the flip side, a similar share admit to managing a child's schedule or dealing with a school issue during their official work hours. The trend holds across both mothers and fathers, though the specific pressures differ.

Mothers are more likely to report feeling the strain of this overlap. They are more apt to say they have adjusted their work schedule for a child's needs or felt guilty about missing a family event due to work. Fathers, meanwhile, are slightly more likely to say they have brought work home to finish after the kids are asleep.

The survey also asked parents what they want most. Flexibility topped the list. Over 80 percent of respondents said the ability to adjust their start and end times would help them manage both roles. Remote or hybrid options also ranked high. But the data suggests that simply having the option is not enough. Many parents said they still feel pressure to appear available at all hours, even when their official policy allows for flexibility.

Childcare costs remain a major stress point. Nearly half of working parents said that the price of daycare or after-school programs eats up a significant portion of their income. For single parents, that number climbs even higher. The survey did not break down responses by income level, but the pattern suggests that lower-income families feel the pinch most.

The takeaway from the numbers is straightforward. Working parents are not choosing between job and family. They are doing both at the same time, often without a clear line between the two. And what they want most is not more hours in the day, but a structure that lets them shift those hours to fit their real lives.