One third of mothers said to be reaching breaking point due to rise in unpaid labour amid pandemic

Mothers across the nation have been said to be reaching a 'breaking point' following the upsurge of time spent at home during the pandemic and all of the unpaid labour that has come with it.

On the brink of a mental breakdown

In a new reasearch conducted by Mothersphere—a global motherwhood platform with the purpose of empowering mothers to prioritise their wellbeing—53% of mothers surveyed reported feeling a 'dire need' of self-care during lockdown.

With children in the UK only recently having returned back to school, mothers were at one point working from home, helping with their children's homeschooling and taking care of daily household chores. Only 12% of respondents said they put their own mental well-being ahead of anyone else's in the family with another 14% saying that they considered their needs to come last—including those of their pets.

About two thirds of mothers surveyed admitted to feeling as though they had taken on more responsibilities than they're male partners. Interestingly, not a single respondent believes they're male counterparts took on more unpaid labour than them.

A generational shift when it comes to gender equality

Other findings that came from the study showed that 72% of 45-49 year olds felt they had taken on more responisbilities than their male partners. Respondents in a younger age bracket, on the other hand, were likelier to answer that the additonal tasks that came with lockdown were equally divided. Tanya Candy, co-founder of Mothersphere said:

It is no surprise that mums have been under so much pressure trying to balance home-schooling and work during lockdown, but the statistics showing that a third of mums are at breaking point is worrying.

And added:

We all know that we can't pour from an empty cup, but still we are seeing that mothers are placing their own wellbeing at the bottom of the pile, and in some cases, even below that of the family pet.