If you’re a mom feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending demands of household planning, you’re not alone. A new study in the Journal of Marriage & Family confirms that mothers carry the lion’s share of the “mental load,” a term used to describe the cognitive effort required to keep family life on track.
What Is the Mental Load?
The mental load encompasses tasks like scheduling, planning, and organizing household activities. From arranging meals and childcare to managing finances, these responsibilities often go unnoticed yet are critical for a smoothly running home.
The study, which analyzed data from 3,000 U.S. parents, found that mothers handle 71% of household tasks requiring mental effort—60% more than fathers.
“This kind of work is often unseen, but it matters,” said Dr. Ana Catalano Weeks, a political scientist at the University of Bath, England. “It can lead to stress, burnout, and even impact women’s careers. In many cases, resentment can build, creating strain between couples.”
Key Findings
Moms Overwhelmingly Manage the Household: Mothers take on 71% of mental load tasks, while fathers handle just 45%.
Gender Divide in Responsibilities: Mothers assume 79% of cleaning and childcare tasks, over twice as much as fathers (37%). Fathers, on the other hand, focus on finances and home repairs (65%), though mothers still play a significant role in these areas (53%).
Impact on Single Parents: Single mothers and fathers take on the full mental load, with single dads doing significantly more than partnered fathers.
Career Consequences for Women: Working mothers are twice as likely as fathers to consider reducing their hours or quitting their jobs due to parental responsibilities, according to a recent Gallup study.
A Need for Change
The gender imbalance in household responsibilities not only strains families but also hampers workplace equality. “Going forward, the challenge for governments and employers who care about attracting top talent is how to create policies that support both mothers and fathers sharing unpaid work at home,” Catalano Weeks said.
One proposed solution is well-paid, gender-neutral parental leave, a policy widely adopted in Europe but lagging in the U.K. and U.S.
Steps Toward Balance
To alleviate the burden, researchers encourage families to have open discussions about who carries the mental load and work collaboratively to share responsibilities. Employers and policymakers can also play a role by adopting supportive family-friendly policies.
“Sharing the mental load fairly benefits everyone,” Catalano Weeks emphasized, urging both societal and family-level changes to ease the stress on mothers.
This study sheds light on the invisible yet crucial work that mothers perform, reminding us that equitable solutions are vital for happier families and healthier workplaces.
