Summertime can be one of the most stressful times for parents — and especially moms — in the workforce. In the summer, parents need to juggle summer activities, work, limited childcare options, and camps. When you throw in the added pressure from social media to do more and live up to an imagined standard of summer perfection, it all adds up to heightened stress and anxiety.
Acknowledging and addressing this summertime parent guilt is something managers should be aware of — and care about – as it takes a toll on employees’ mental health over time.
Why is parent guilt so high during the summer?
Summer may be a time when teachers and daycares can breathe a sigh of relief, but it creates additional pressures for parents. Given that at least one parent was employed in 91.2 percent of families with children in 2022, it’s safe to say that summer parenting stresses have a major impact on many employees. Once schools close, parents are suddenly thrust into a new routine — one that often leaves gaps in support. Families need to grapple with a lack of childcare or routine school schedules, and they may worry about how to align work with new challenges during these three months.
Parents may morph into early birds or night owls to gain focused work time or line up conference calls during camp drop-off or pick-up. Amid the chaos, stress can creep in: parents worry over disrupted work and its impact on their team members while simultaneously feeling guilty about missing family time. Moms in particular feel the added stress: According to a study from Werklabs, the research arm of The Mom Project, many survey respondents reported that the bulk of child care responsibilities continues to fall on moms.
The logistical stress of planning almost ten weeks of coverage also comes with the financial burden of adding makeshift childcare via camps, nannies, babysitters, and more. According to a Bankrate.com survey, “nearly one in five parents say they plan on spending over $2,000 per child for summertime child-care services, and that includes summer camps, classes, as well as daily babysitters or nannies.” These expenses can intensify already fraught emotions
What’s more, parents may feel pressure to meet personal or societal expectations of what summer “should” be and feel like for children — and these pressures are only amplified by the constant highlight reel they see in their social media feeds.
The challenge of integrating work and home life, particularly in the summer, can take its toll on parents’ mental health. They can’t put their best foot forward when they’re living under constant pressure. During this season of stress, every little bit of relief helps — and employers can both acknowledge summertime stress and show their support for parents in a few key ways.
Actively encourage PTO
Are your employees using their PTO? As an employer, you have the power to set the culture around taking time off. Ensure your employees feel empowered to actually take vacation and enjoy their time off guilt-free. Remind managers of the importance of team and leader support during periods of employee PTO. The support and blessing of coworkers and managers can alleviate any feelings of guilt employees may have about being away.
Ensure managers set the tone
Team managers can have great influence on culture. It’s the difference between telling and showing: when you follow through on your words with actions, the effect is much more powerful. Whether they’re encouraging their team members to truly check out while on PTO, establishing flex hours to accommodate summer family needs, or being transparent with their own summer schedule challenges, managers can set an example that prioritizes balance and demonstrates the value in creating a flexible work environment for all.
Support creative schedules and summer flex hours
Much of summer’s stress results from the disruption of the school year routine, which may require more flexibility from parents and employers alike. Employers who enable flexibility by honoring off hours or schedules for project work or giving grace for blocked-off time in the middle of the day can go a long way. Partner with your employees to create schedules that work for them during these months and be open to creative options.
At The Mom Project, we offer Summer Fridays, which enable employees to enjoy Friday afternoons engaged in summertime activities with family and friends. Gestures like this can truly show employees how much you care about and value their well-being.
Tap parent employee resource groups for ideas
Everyone wants to feel seen and heard, but the hustle and bustle of the workplace can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation. Employee resource groups, or ERGs, are a great way to show employees they are not alone and help promote feelings of inclusion. Have your parent ERG share ideas to help leaders support their employees during the summer months or plan events that include both family fun and team building.
Offer mental health benefits such as Talkspace
While peers can provide a shoulder to lean on, professional guidance can be invaluable for employees’ mental health. Many companies now offer mental health services as part of their benefits and perks packages. Online therapy resources like Talkspace provide a variety of therapeutic options that integrate seamlessly into employees’ lives with online video sessions or even text message-based support.
Let’s put parent guilt on the back burner
Recognizing the unique challenges that working parents, especially moms, face during these summer months can make a world of difference to them as employees and as people. This summer, take a new step in demonstrating how much you value your employees with actions that encourage their well-being.
To my fellow moms, I see you. I am also in the thick of it — trying to make those memories before summer flies away before our eyes. More than anything, I hope this summer you find ways to feel supported by colleagues who get it as you take that invaluable time — time with your kids, time with your family and friends, and, hopefully, a little bit of time to focus on yourself.
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