‘Never time to do anything well’: mothers’ reported constraints during a pandemic

Abstract

Mothers’ perceptions of mothering could potentially influence several aspects of their home and work commitments. This study explores how mothers perceive their mothering experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic via 18 in-depth interviews. The authors use constraint theory and negotiation frameworks to discuss how family communication processes and perceptions of mothering are related within the context of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Findings demonstrated how working from home increased perceptions of family tensions, especially with the lack of home/work separation. Throughout the narratives, participants describe specific constraints at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural levels, as well as how they were negotiated. This study extends past research centering mothers within the context of family communication, specifically through the rich experiences described by participants on work and home balance and provides directions for future research while discussing practical implications for family and gender issues researchers.