As the NPR article posted below alludes to, women are being forced to leave the workplace in enormous numbers, particularly in September as the pandemic has rolled on and complex schooling situations have stressed domestic situations. It has increased inequality in compensation and equality not seen since 1988.

I feel blessed to be able to trade working time with my wife: she gets two days devoted to her business a week and I get two days, while we trade time spent with our three rambunctious herd. There is definitely some conflict that surrounds this very difficult dynamic to manage (she’s currently angry with me for leaving a giant “super-fort” up in the living room that combined a fort-building kit and the living room couch…), but I think both of us end up feeling a least a little fulfilled at the end of the day. The breaks away from the madness of little people crawling all over you and begging for attention are more than necessary, too…

I am sad that this dynamic is not possible for all working mothers out there, and I worry about the strain that being a sole caregiver has on them. “No days off” is not a winning strategy in parenting! I hope you will all be mindful of your space and ambitions when it is possible, and best of luck weathering this you know what storm. I’ll be sending my thoughts and prayers your way.

Stuck-At-Home Moms: The Pandemic’s Devastating Toll On Women

Women are seeing the fabric of their lives unravel during the pandemic. Nowhere is that more visible than on the job. In September, an eye-popping 865,000 women left the U.S. workforce – four times more than men. The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on households, and women are bearing the brunt of it.