Less sleep, less exercise and less relaxation – here’s the data on just how much busier moms are during the school year

Parents spend more time actively engaged with their kids – such as helping with homework or reading together – during the school year than during summer. But the difference is almost three times greater for moms than for dads.

By: Todd Jones, Mississippi State University; Benjamin Cowan, Washington State University, and Jeff Swigert, Southern Utah University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 15, 2026

Words: 760

Last Updated: 3 days, 7 hours ago

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By Todd Jones, Mississippi State University; Benjamin Cowan, Washington State University, and Jeff Swigert, Southern Utah University

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Moms of school-age children get significantly less sleep during the school year than during the summer.

We are economists who specialize in education and health research. We combined extensive data on school district schedules with information derived from the …

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