At any given time, a mom has her hands full with schedules, routines and day to day organization of her family. A master at keeping crisis in check and knowing what’s what 24/7, she is constantly absorbing information from her children about their friends, activities and school. No matter how busy life gets, mom has a seemingly endless capacity to take in and take on even more. This is put to the test at the end of every summer, when we gear up for the return to school.
When the packets of school information arrive in the mail, children anxiously check with their friends for class placement while mom gives the evil eye to the pile of documents that need to be completed by the first day. It is the beginning of the school year madness, which involves homework, sports practices and the carpool, and all of which put mom right in the mix. Regardless of how much paperwork, driving or brain power is required, mom will still manage to be heavily involved in activities concerning her children. This is evidenced in data from a study by The Research Moms where we see consistency in mom’s involvement, especially in the tween and teen set.
Nearly all moms (96%) who have a child in school between 6th and 12th grade said they are at least somewhat involved in the extracurricular activities of their children, with 47% saying they are very involved. This involvement can come in many forms. Whether cheering on the sidelines at every soccer game, manning the snack bar at the little league field or driving to chorus practice, it all counts and mom pitches in when and where she can. Even working moms share that same level of engagement, with 48% saying they are very involved with the extracurricular activities of their children. Additionally, nine out of ten moms report being at least somewhat involved with the friendships and social activities of their children. With children in middle school through high school, that can mean a lot of angst and drama, which also means a lot of advice being doled out from mom.
It isn’t just the extracurricular items that mom gets her hands in. She is also heavily involved in what’s going on with school itself. Ninety-five percent of moms with a child in school between 6th and 12th grade said they are involved with schoolwork and grades, with the majority (62%) being very involved. More than half of working moms (52%) said the same for their participation in class selection and scheduling, which is higher than the 45% of all moms and 31% of stay-at-home moms who said they are very involved. Even though moms have plenty of responsibilities, including many outside the home, these women remain looped in with their children and their day to day happenings.
How the study was conducted:
The Research Moms conducted a national online survey of 540 mothers with children age 21 and under in 2015.
