Mothers Carry 71% of Household Mental Load, Studies Show
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 5
Mothers Carry 71% of Household Mental Load, Studies Show
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 5
Summary
A survey of 3,000 US parents by the University of Bath and University of Melbourne found mothers handled 71% of household tasks requiring planning, remembering and anticipating, from school admin to doctors' appointments.
Researchers and clinicians say that invisible, constant cognitive work often falls to women alongside physical housework, driving poor sleep, irritability, decision fatigue and burnout that can spill into paid work.
Women interviewed by the BBC said maternity leave and school systems often make mothers the default parent early, while fathers may do more episodic tasks and remain outside daily apps, WhatsApp groups and routines.
Parents and experts said the load eases when partners take full ownership of task categories, use shared calendars and regular check-ins, and workplaces normalize fathers taking more parental leave.