In my last post, I responded to the research on the “happiness penalty” faced by mothers who are the primary breadwinners in their families. The toll it takes to try and raise children while at the same time be the family’s main source of income is off the charts. I would expect the data to look exactly as it does.

The fallout of such a lifestyle is no doubt the reason 67% of all mothers say their ideal situation is to work part-time or not at all. Even many full-time working mothers agree with that sentiment. “Among mothers who currently work full time, many would rather not. About 44% say working part time would be their ideal situation,” writes Wendy Wang, director of research at the Institute for Family Studies.