Comments on: Who clips the nails? (Part I. Survey results) http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/ For moms who can do it all, but wonder why they should. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:10:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Book-in-progress about engaged fathers | Working Moms Break http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-9346 Book-in-progress about engaged fathers | Working Moms Break Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:45:20 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-9346 [...] her more. Every problem that I write about on this blog—the pay gap between men and mothers, the psychic burden mothers carry, the health problems we suffer as a result—all these things would look very [...] [...] her more. Every problem that I write about on this blog—the pay gap between men and mothers, the psychic burden mothers carry, the health problems we suffer as a result—all these things would look very [...]

]]> By: Three Ways to Share the Psychic Burden http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-7244 Three Ways to Share the Psychic Burden Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:10:56 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-7244 [...] Alcorn at Working Moms Break did a survey on this topic about a year ago. She writes: Social scientists have long known about the housework gap between [...] [...] Alcorn at Working Moms Break did a survey on this topic about a year ago. She writes: Social scientists have long known about the housework gap between [...]

]]> By: Keep your foot on the gas pedal? | Working Moms Break http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-6189 Keep your foot on the gas pedal? | Working Moms Break Tue, 31 May 2011 18:09:40 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-6189 [...] work. (I would add that we also take on more the of “psychic burden” of this work. See Who Clips the Nails? for more on [...] [...] work. (I would add that we also take on more the of “psychic burden” of this work. See Who Clips the Nails? for more on [...]

]]> By: Working Parents: How Are You Doing? (Survey) « MomsRising Blog http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-4663 Working Parents: How Are You Doing? (Survey) « MomsRising Blog Mon, 02 May 2011 17:28:12 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-4663 [...] P.S. I did a survey like this almost a year ago called “Who Clips the Nails?” asking parents how they divide up household chores. The answers were eye-opening. You can read about it here. [...] [...] P.S. I did a survey like this almost a year ago called “Who Clips the Nails?” asking parents how they divide up household chores. The answers were eye-opening. You can read about it here. [...]

]]> By: Working parents: How are you doing? (Survey) | Working Moms Break http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-4656 Working parents: How are you doing? (Survey) | Working Moms Break Mon, 02 May 2011 03:46:36 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-4656 [...] P.S. I did a survey like this almost a year ago called “Who Clips the Nails?” asking parents how they divide up household chores. The answers were eye-opening. You can read about it here. [...] [...] P.S. I did a survey like this almost a year ago called “Who Clips the Nails?” asking parents how they divide up household chores. The answers were eye-opening. You can read about it here. [...]

]]> By: On My Mind http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-1801 On My Mind Thu, 25 Nov 2010 23:10:54 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-1801 [...] As Katrina Alcorn found in her “Who clips the nails?” survey, even in homes where both parents do paid work, [...] [...] As Katrina Alcorn found in her “Who clips the nails?” survey, even in homes where both parents do paid work, [...]

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-1737 Jennifer Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:37:05 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-1737 Excellent point and so true! Excellent point and so true!

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-1736 Jennifer Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:35:51 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-1736 I do think it's true that moms think more about all this. She's also talking about planning, though, not just mulling over. :) And without planning, there are missed parties and rehearsals, conflicting plans, feelings hurt, late fees, thank you cards not given, dark greens not eaten for 6 weeks, etc. etc. None of it "just gets done," the planning sometimes takes more time than the actual, final task. Also, a lot of little tasks can fall to the wayside if we don't keep them fresh in our minds, so I do think a portion of that thinking we do is not optional. I do think it’s true that moms think more about all this. She’s also talking about planning, though, not just mulling over. :) And without planning, there are missed parties and rehearsals, conflicting plans, feelings hurt, late fees, thank you cards not given, dark greens not eaten for 6 weeks, etc. etc. None of it “just gets done,” the planning sometimes takes more time than the actual, final task. Also, a lot of little tasks can fall to the wayside if we don’t keep them fresh in our minds, so I do think a portion of that thinking we do is not optional.

]]> By: Who clips the nails? (Part IV. How it got this way) | Working Moms Break http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-1058 Who clips the nails? (Part IV. How it got this way) | Working Moms Break Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:18:43 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-1058 [...] Part I. Survey results [...] [...] Part I. Survey results [...]

]]> By: Katrina http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/comment-page-1/#comment-961 Katrina Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:04:51 +0000 http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/?p=1285#comment-961 Hi Meg, I'm glad you asked that question. I had a detailed explanation about this, which I took out because the story was already so long and I didn't think many people would care. Short answer: There were very few responses from dads. Adding the dad responses in would have been more math on my side but made very little difference to the percentages I listed. It was cleaner and easier to say these are the moms’ responses. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I tried very hard to make it clear. Long answer: I struggled with how to include everyone’s feedback and still keep the story (and math) simple. (Recap: 338 total respondents; 302 of those were in hetero or same sex 2-working parent households; 14 of those were dads married to moms. I think there was one dad in a 2-dad household.) In the end, I filtered out the dads’ responses (unless otherwise indicated) as well as responses of parents in families where only 1 parent works. You could say I was being lazy. I would say I was being pragmatic. But since you asked, here are the dad data: 14 respondents fit the description of working dads with wives who work. This is how many dads said they “usually do” these tasks. • 57% Drop off and pick up kids (in other words, 5 out of 14 dads said “I usually do this”) • 57% Stay home with sick kids • 43% School communication, volunteering, etc. • 38% Brushing kids’ hair and teeth (only 13 responses) • 36% Clipping nails • 29% Scheduling dentist and doctor appointments • 21% Research daycare/schools • 21% Checking for lice • 14% Organizing kid birthday parties • 7% Buying and sorting clothes While these dads show higher participation, according to their responses, they still aren’t taking primary responsibility for the things that don’t happen every day, the “psychic burden” tasks. I learned a lot from doing this survey and plan to do more of them. Next time I would design the survey differently so it would be easier to tally up the results. Next time I would also emphasize that the value of this research is QUALITATIVE—the quantitative data is interesting, but not thorough. The really interesting stuff are all the quotes in parts 2-4. Hi Meg,

I’m glad you asked that question. I had a detailed explanation about this, which I took out because the story was already so long and I didn’t think many people would care.

Short answer:

There were very few responses from dads. Adding the dad responses in would have been more math on my side but made very little difference to the percentages I listed. It was cleaner and easier to say these are the moms’ responses. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. I tried very hard to make it clear.

Long answer:

I struggled with how to include everyone’s feedback and still keep the story (and math) simple. (Recap: 338 total respondents; 302 of those were in hetero or same sex 2-working parent households; 14 of those were dads married to moms. I think there was one dad in a 2-dad household.) In the end, I filtered out the dads’ responses (unless otherwise indicated) as well as responses of parents in families where only 1 parent works. You could say I was being lazy. I would say I was being pragmatic.

But since you asked, here are the dad data:

14 respondents fit the description of working dads with wives who work. This is how many dads said they “usually do” these tasks.

• 57% Drop off and pick up kids (in other words, 5 out of 14 dads said “I usually do this”)
• 57% Stay home with sick kids
• 43% School communication, volunteering, etc.
• 38% Brushing kids’ hair and teeth (only 13 responses)
• 36% Clipping nails
• 29% Scheduling dentist and doctor appointments
• 21% Research daycare/schools
• 21% Checking for lice
• 14% Organizing kid birthday parties
• 7% Buying and sorting clothes

While these dads show higher participation, according to their responses, they still aren’t taking primary responsibility for the things that don’t happen every day, the “psychic burden” tasks.

I learned a lot from doing this survey and plan to do more of them. Next time I would design the survey differently so it would be easier to tally up the results. Next time I would also emphasize that the value of this research is QUALITATIVE—the quantitative data is interesting, but not thorough. The really interesting stuff are all the quotes in parts 2-4.

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