Parents often want to do their best at work and at home, but there are only so many hours in a day. A parent may answer a work email while helping with homework. They may think about a work meeting while driving their child to soccer. Or they may take a call from school while they are at work. This is a real challenge for many families. Fifty-four percent of parents say it is hard to balance work and family responsibilities.1
Work can also take parents away from moments they do not want to miss. About 60% of full-time working parents say they spend too little time with their children because of work. Nearly 47% say work has caused them to miss a child’s activity, such as a school concert or sports game, at least sometimes. Missing these moments can hurt. About 65% of working moms say they feel extremely or very upset when work causes them to miss a child’s activity, compared with 45% of dads.1
About 52% say their job makes it harder to be a good parent, while 45% say being a parent makes it harder to move ahead at work. Many parents feel caught in the middle. Parents also need time for themselves. Many say they do not have enough time for exercise, hobbies, friends or simply relaxing. Moms report this more often than dads. For example, 65% of working moms say they do not have enough time to exercise, compared with 52% of dads. And 67% of moms say they do not have enough time to relax, compared with 53% of dads.1
Childcare can be a major source of stress, too. Across income levels, cost is the biggest challenge parents face when finding childcare. Families with lower and middle incomes are more likely to depend on family, friends or neighbors for childcare. Higher-income families are more likely to use paid care, such as daycare or preschool. Lower-income working parents also face more worry when childcare falls through. They may worry about losing pay or even losing their jobs if they have to stay home with a sick child. That can make an already hard situation even harder.1
Parents should not have to choose between doing a good job at work and being there for their children. They need affordable childcare, paid time off, fair benefits and flexible work options. Employers can help by creating workplaces where parents can handle family needs without fear of losing pay, missing out at work or being seen as less committed. And parents can help each other, too. Sharing childcare, household tasks and parenting duties can take some pressure off one person. Every family is different, but no parent should feel like they have to do it all alone.1
If you are a working parent, think about one change that could make your week easier. It could be asking for a more flexible schedule, sharing more tasks at home, or learning about childcare and workplace benefits available to you. Start with one small step today. A little more support can make a big difference for working parents and their families. If you are interested in becoming an Advocate for the Innocent member and gaining access to our Resource Center ($10/month or $99/annually), visit https://advocatefortheinnocent.org/memberships/.
1 – https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/06/16/for-working-parents-the-boundary-between-work-and-family-is-often-blurred/
2 – Image by Freepik/Magnific