Moms earn more with 50/50 parenting

According to Pew Research reported in 2019, the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of children in single-parent households. That number has risen since 2010, while marriage rates declined.

Almost a quarter of American children live with one parent (and no other adults), more than three times the share of children in the other 129 countries surveyed. In neighboring Canada, the rate is 15 percent.

The same Pew study, “Religion and Living Arrangements Around the World,” also found no difference in these rates between children from religiously affiliated vs. unaffiliated families.

The economics aren’t favorable to single-mom households. Mothers overall suffer a pay gap of 29 percent, earning an average of 71 cents for every $1 earned by a dad — or an average of $16,000 less per year, according to the National Women’s Law Center. The gap is wider for single mothers (35 percent).

While single dads parenting their children are on the rise, most single parent households are still headed by moms. But when Dad is involved and both parent equally, things tend to go better for the kids, too, according to dozens of studies analyzed in the Journal of Child Custody (Nielson 2018).

The most recent study released Jan. 11 on Wealthysinglemommy.com, “The Single Mom Income and Time Sharing Survey,” correlates parenting time with single mothers’ income. The more co-parenting, the higher mom’s income and the better is gender pay parity, according to this survey of 2,279 single moms.

Created by bestselling author and co-parenting and financial independence advocate Emma Johnson, this study also found:

*Moms with 50/50 parenting schedules are 54 percent more likely to earn $100,000 or more annually than those with less or no parenting help, and more than three times as likely to earn $65,000 or more.

*Only 13 percent of single moms have a 50/50 parenting arrangement, and 51 percent have 100 percent parenting time and responsibility.

*Nine in 10 single moms say they could earn more if they had more equal co-parenting schedules.

*Moms with 50/50 parenting time are 34 percent more likely to say they feel “awesome and proud” of being a mom when compared with moms who don’t have parenting help.

Co-parenting dads probably feel the same way.

More study results are in the white paper at Bit.ly/3p6esqK. Next time, a look at the changing role of American fatherhood.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.