New study: Even with Shared Tasks, Moms Ofen Default too ‘Project Manager’ Role After Childbirth
ÖREBRO, SWEDEN – A new study from Örebro University reveals that despite initial desires for equal parental duty, women often assume a disproportionate amount of “cognitive work” – the organizational and mental load – after the birth of a child, even when practical tasks are divided relatively evenly. The research highlights a creeping imbalance where women become de facto “project managers” of the household, leading to dissatisfaction.
The study, conducted by associate professor of psychology Terese Glatz and associate professor of sociology Jenny Alsarve, found that while couples enter parenthood hoping to share responsibilities equally, anxieties surface early. “The women expressed greater concern that they will bear greater responsibility,” glatz stated. This concern proved accurate, with women taking on more of the unseen organizational tasks alongside thier share of visible chores.
Researchers observed that while couples generally split practical tasks like laundry and cooking – with women often handling laundry and men frequently taking on cooking – women consistently shouldered the mental burden of planning, coordinating, and remembering everything related to childcare and household management.
“It comes creeping,” Glatz explained.”When you look at the actual work it may look equal,but the mental work is placed on women in addition to what you do in the home.” She described this as a background role, frequently enough involving association and planning. “The woman becomes the one who organizes, a kind of project manager simply. it is often about what is not visible.”
the study also indicated that women who fall into this role are often dissatisfied. Glatz suggests proactive reflection and support for couples before having children is crucial to avoid these patterns. “But I think it is about the fact that as a couple you need to reflect even more on how you want it and also get support even before you have children. So you don’t fall into these traps,” she saeid.Researchers acknowledge the difficulty in determining whether women actively take on this role or if it is assigned to them, but suggest societal norms surrounding parental leave and established routines may contribute. “Then women are parental leave first and then you put the routines and ways of thinking. Then it can be tough for the partner to take over,” Glatz noted. The study underscores the need for ongoing conversation and conscious effort to ensure a more equitable distribution of both visible and invisible labor within families.
