Motherly®

Motherly's 7th Annual State of Motherhood Report launched today. The annual survey, with nearly 6,000 respondents, conveyed that today’s mothers continue to parent without adequate support. Key findings from this year include: Gen Z moms are signaling a continuing future birth rate decline: Today’s moms under 30 are 2 times as likely to NOT plan for more children than moms of the same age in 2019, citing financial, childcare, global, environmental and medical concerns (69% in 2024 vs. 35% in 2019). Childcare access and affordability issues continue to impact mothers’ ability to work: 66% of moms note that the stress and cost of childcare has made them consider leaving the workforce, up 14% from 2023. These sentiments are highest among Gen Z at 82%. One quarter of all moms report receiving regular financial support from their parents: Gen Z moms are twice as likely to have help from their parents compared to their own mothers' generations (Gen X+). In this election year, more than 85% of moms over 30 support federally mandated paid leave, regulation to address climate change, federally protected reproductive rights and increased gun control policies. Surprisingly, moms under 30 are 3x LESS likely to support the same policies, possibly signaling apathy. https://lnkd.in/dQd7maFM

The legislation, which was signed into law this month, gives single parents the ability to transfer up to 90 days of paid leave and coupled parents up to 45 days, according to the Swedish government’s Social Insurance Agency. The law was approved by the Riksdag, the country’s 349-seat parliament, last December, coming 50 years after the country became the first in the world to offer paid parental leave to both mothers and fathers. Sweden is known for creative solutions to help women and mothers remain in the workforce. Would this law help you better afford to work and provide quality care for your children?

Thank you Katy-Robin Garton for the shoutout in Motherly®. You’ve got them, so we’ve got you. “GOES Health is a weather and medical resource app that is transforming accessibility to medical support in the backcountry. It’s now my go-to for weather, location, air quality, risks to consider, and their 24/7 medical support from real Wilderness Medical Doctors is unparalleled. It’s like having an ER doctor with you at all times—perfect for when my ER doc husband is not with us.” https://lnkd.in/guQx-pjT

Have you heard of Shoko Fujiwara, a single mother of three and entrepreneur based in Japan? She believed strongly that “each family member should be able to thrive and live authentically.” Driven by this conviction, Shoko founded the Mama55 Project, a company dedicated to empowering mothers through flexible remote employment opportunities in telemarketing. Her goal was ambitious—to spark a societal shift where mothers could maximize their power and potential without sacrificing family life.

Parenting each new generation comes with unique challenges—there’s always something vaguely “worrisome.” Yet somehow, despite watching technology advance at a pace unimaginable to our parents or grandparents, I wasn’t expecting this digital onslaught. Influencers. ChatGPT. Self-driving cars. What’s a mom to do? How do we encourage our kids to work hard, do for themselves and use their own creative energy and mental labor to excel when nearly everything in their young lives can be automated, outsourced or generated?

ICYMI: Did you hear CNN ask about the surging cost of childcare during last nights debate. Nonprofit Moms First , founded by activist Reshma Saujani, vocalized the importance of the childcare crisis to voters by starting a petition urging CNN to address the problem during the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. “The extreme cost of child care is crushing moms all over the country,” states the petition, which received 15,000 signatures prior to the debate. “Child care for two children costs more than rent in every U.S. state. 50% of Americans live in child care deserts. And 59% of parents with young kids have been forced to reduce their work hours or quit their jobs due to the exorbitant expenses of child care.” #childcare #election2024

It is not surprising that today’s parents still need some support from their parents. Indeed, over one quarter (27%) report taking financial help regularly or occasionally. However, this year, half (49%) of moms under 30 report taking financial help from parents, noting they struggle with living expenses and student loan debt, falling off to an average of 23% among those aged 30 to 39, before declining to 16% among parents in their 40s. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e4VB5_3 #stateofmotherhood

Did you know that the average cost of child care for two children is higher than the cost of rent in all 50 states? While the lack of affordable child care affects all Americans, moms across the U.S. are bearing the burden of this growing crisis. We need answers, solutions, and actions from our leaders. We demand to know how they plan to combat the child care crisis and relieve the burden pushing countless families into debt. Join us and Moms First as we raise our voices and demand that CNN puts a spotlight on child care during the upcoming presidential debate on 6/27.Sign the petition below. #Debates2024 https://lnkd.in/ewGHvNgY

According to Motherly's 7th Annual State of Motherhood Report, more than a quarter (27%) of all moms regularly receive financial support from their parents, rising to 49% for moms under 30.

Summer vacation started? These podcasts will wow your kids all summer (and you’ll love them, too) We love co-listening to these amazing podcasts for kids from Wondery to celebrate the Summer of Wow. We're betting you'll find your own "wow moments" along the way.