Better call mom: Schools still see mothers as the default parent to contact

When both parents appeared equally available, schools were 40% more likely to call students’ moms, rather than their dads.

By: Laura K. Gee, Tufts University; Kristy Buzard, Syracuse University, and Olga Stoddard, Brigham Young University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 4, 2026

Words: 975

Last Updated: 2 weeks ago

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By Laura K. Gee, Tufts University; Kristy Buzard, Syracuse University, and Olga Stoddard, Brigham Young University

The start of the school year brings a familiar list of responsibilities for parents: buying school supplies, keeping track of forms, coordinating transportation and responding to a steady stream of emails from teachers and administrators.

Although many families strive to share these responsibilities, research has consistently found that mothers tend to shoulder a larger share of the work tied …

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