National Working Mothers Day March 12:
The Ultimate Balancing Act
Today is National Working Mothers Day... the day to celebrate and honor all the mothers who balance work, home, family each and every day. What they do is truly the ultimate balancing act.
Did you know:
Approximately 40% of mothers with children under 18 in the U.S. are primary or sole breadwinners, meaning they need to work to support their families.
As of 2024, 68.3% of mothers with children under age 6 and 78.0% of mothers with children aged 6 to 17 participate in the workforce.
Among employed mothers, 79% work full-time, year-round.
“The obligation for working mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one’s children as if one did not have a job.”
Annabel Crabb
I grew up with a working mother at a time when that was far from common. In fact, I can’t remember a single school friend whose mother worked outside the home—even part time. My mother didn’t just work one job. She worked a full-time job plus two part-time jobs.
As a result, I mostly saw my mother only on Sundays… and even then she was still “working”—doing laundry, cleaning the house, and getting everything ready for the week ahead.
Looking back, that example shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. Watching her juggle responsibilities, sacrifice her personal time and life, and still show up for our family instilled in me a deep respect for hard work, persistence, and responsibility, especially in mothers.
"I think every working mom feels the same thing: you go through big chunks of time where you're just thinking "this is impossible... oh this is impossible." And then you just keep going and you sort of do the impossible."
Tina Fey
While my mother never said as much, she must have thought she was trying to accomplish the impossible many days.
Working Mothers and Real Estate:
From Laundry Baskets to Listing Appointments
National Working Mothers Day has me thinking about how many working mothers are in the real estate profession today. Real estate has long been a career that allows talented, driven women—especially mothers—to build successful businesses while still being present for their families. The flexibility of the profession allows many moms to attend school events, be there for their kids, and still serve their clients at the highest level.
Did you know:
Women make up approximately 62% to 66% of all residential real estate agents.
Percentage of Mothers: A 2025 survey of 600+ active women in the American real estate industry found that 94% were mothers. That's a lot of working moms in just one industry!
Behind many real estate transactions is a working mother managing schedules, contracts, showings, family life, and everything in between. According to the Department of Labor, employed mothers in the U.S. continue to bear a disproportionate share of household labor, spending an average of 13.2 to over 17 hours per week on chore. And this is often in addition to roughly 12.5 hours on child care. Combined with paid work, working mothers often face a "second shift," performing significantly more unpaid work than men.
"The phrase working mother is redundant."
Donna Reed
So today I’m especially grateful for my mother, who showed me what dedication to family really looks like—and for all the working mothers out there who continue to balance family, career, and community with incredible strength.
"The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don't remember what you try to tell them. They remember what you are."
Jim Henson
Happy National Working Mothers Day to all the working mothers (past and present). Your work—both seen and unseen—matters more than you know. I vote for every day to be National Working Mothers Day!
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