The new second shift is burning out both parents

"In 1989, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild introduced "the second shift" to describe what happened when women got home from their paid job to an unpaid one: making dinner, folding laundry, shuttling kids to sports. Thirty-plus years ago, that division was clear. Today, it's more like ... murky."

"These days, most dual-income households assume both partners will be ambitious at work and hands-on at home. In fact, fathers are spending more time on childcare than ever before. According to Pew Research, they've doubled their involvement since the 1960s. Parenting is the most gender-equal it's ever been."

"The mental load. It's where the second shift truly lives. And despite how equitable we've become at dividing up chores, most households still put that "boss level" parenting role on mom. Who needs to be reminded about soccer practice? Who picks out which days they have guitar lessons and tutoring?"

"While mothers are traditionally expected to drive carpools, recent research shows that men are experiencing more work-family conflict than previous generations. They're still expected to be hands-on dads who never miss a soccer game. But they're also expected to be nothing but professional."

The concept of the second shift, introduced by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild in 1989, described women's unpaid domestic work after paid employment. Today, this dynamic has transformed in dual-income households where both parents are expected to be career-driven and actively involved in parenting. Fathers have doubled their childcare involvement since the 1960s, making parenting more gender-equal than ever. However, the workload hasn't decreased—it has doubled for both partners. While chores are more equitably divided, mothers typically retain the mental load of managing family logistics like scheduling activities, tracking appointments, and organizing transportation. Men now experience increased work-family conflict as they navigate expectations to be both ambitious professionals and engaged fathers, creating widespread burnout across both genders.

Read at Fast Company