The NewsWorthy Special Edition: Modern Motherhood & Making Room for Joy
May 9, 2026
Dr. Corinne Low, Wharton professor and author who studies time use and family economics. She explores why many moms feel squeezed despite spending more time with kids, how parenting minutes have shifted over decades, the trade-offs behind "having it all," practical outsourcing and boundary strategies, and small ways overwhelmed parents can preserve joy.
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Parenting Time Demands Have Exploded
- Modern parenting expectations have reshaped time use so working moms today spend more childcare minutes than stay-at-home moms did in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Increased travel for activities, extended breastfeeding, and homework help are major new time sinks identified from the American Time Use Survey.
Map Priorities And Timebox Your Life
- Map your personal priorities and decide when to lean in or step back rather than chasing a one-size-fits-all 'having it all.'
- Treat life as changing chapters and be strategic about which priorities get most time during the squeezed middle period.
Outsource By Valuing Your Time
- Consider outsourcing household tasks by valuing your time financially and reallocating budget toward paid help.
- Corinne Low compares taking a car to a mechanic with outsourcing chores and urges viewing women's time as worth the same paid substitutions.
