Traditional family roles reverse as women who earn more than men struggle to balance career and motherhood
Four in ten mums are “racked with guilt” about juggling full-time work and children, reveals a study by Aviva.
This coincides with new figures showing more women than ever are working in full-time jobs, despite their youngest or only child being under four years old.
According to the Office of National Satistics, in 2003, the number of mums working full-time was 1.9 million. Now the figure has risen by 18% to more than 2.25 million.
This is most likely due to the tough economic climate and the fact that a growing number of women are earning higher salaries than their partners.
But the study of 1,200 mothers found that many bread-winning wives feel guilty about 'abandoning' their children for work every day.
“Women are increasingly changing their traditional roles, perhaps because their husband has lost his job or because she earns more than him. But they are not finding it easy,” said Jill Kirby, author of The Price of Parenthood.
The average-working woman earns more than a man at the same age, so many couples have no choice for the higher earner to work while the lower earner stays home to look after the kids.
How does it work in your family?
