You’ve probably heard the saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” And for most of history, that wasn’t just a saying, it was literal. When my grandmother first became a mom, her mom and grandmother lived in the same building. If she needed help, she didn’t have to send a calendar invite or hire a sitter, she walked upstairs.
Fast-forward to today, and most of us don’t live like that. The reality is that modern parenthood looks very different than it did just a few generations ago. Families are more spread out, workplaces are more demanding, and the majority of moms are not only working but working full time.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), 74% of all U.S. mothers are in the labor force, and 79% of employed mothers work full time [4]. That means most moms today are balancing careers alongside caregiving.
With that shift, the old idea of a “village” to raise kids isn’t enough anymore. Moms aren’t just raising families, we’re building careers. And just like parenting, thriving at work takes a village too. We need colleagues, mentors, and leaders who see us, back us, and provide opportunities. Because in 2025, it still takes a village, but not just at home. It takes one at work, too.
If you zoom out, the way moms work has changed dramatically over the last 60 years. Each generation saw more and more mothers entering the workforce full time:
1960s: Only about 1 in 3 moms worked full time. Staying home was still the cultural norm.
1970s–1980s: The “take-off years.” Full-time working motherhood surged as women entered the workforce in record numbers. By the late 1980s, closer to half of moms were working full time.
1990s: By the end of the decade, a majority of moms were in the workforce, with more than half holding full-time jobs.
2000s–2010s: Full-time working motherhood became an expectation, not an exception. About 55% of all mothers were working full time by the 2010s.
2025: Full-time working moms are the majority reality. 79% of moms work full time, and 60% of those moms are Millennials, making them the backbone of today’s workforce.
👉 Bottom line: Each generation of mothers worked more than the one before it. What was once unusual—a mother working full time—is now the norm in the U.S.
But here’s the catch: while the number of working moms continues to rise, the playing field still isn’t level. The data tells us:
The Motherhood Penalty: Mothers are less likely to be hired, promoted, or perceived as committed compared to non-mothers with identical résumés.
Fewer Promotions: Only 1 in 4 C-suite leaders are women, and working mothers are even less represented at the top.
Increased Burnout: Working mothers are 1.5x more likely than fathers to feel burned out from balancing career and caregiving.
Flexibility Penalty: Women who use flexible schedules or parental leave often face slower advancement and wider pay gaps, even when performance remains strong.
Double Duty: Full-time working moms still spend about 4.5 hours per day on unpaid household and caregiving work, nearly double that of fathers.
Moms are showing up, working full time, and carrying more than ever before, but advancement opportunities, leadership roles, and recognition don’t always keep pace. That’s why a workplace village matters. We need each other, to advocate, to sponsor, to normalize boundaries, and to make sure motherhood is seen as a strength, not a setback.
Working moms need a village at work, too. And no, this doesn’t mean Becky from Accounting is packing school lunches for you. A real work village means having people who understand your reality, back your potential, and don’t quietly sideline you because you’re juggling a lot.
Here’s what support looks like on the ground (and honestly, this helps all parents, not just moms):
Understand the load—without lowering the bar. We need colleagues (especially other women) who see the reality of a full-time working mom and don’t assume “too busy” means “not capable.”
Recognize motherhood as a strength. Time-boxing, prioritizing, leading under pressure, parenting builds muscles the workplace benefits from.
Offer solidarity. Like my coworker who, at a happy hour, gave me one tip that solved my potty-training problem in five minutes flat. Support doesn’t always look “corporate,” but it moves mountains.
Remind us what matters. Like Peggy, a colleague who once asked how my kids were doing. I casually mentioned that I might miss my daughter’s first day of school because of work. Later that afternoon, Peggy came to my office and shared that she had missed her own daughter’s first day years ago, and regretted it ever since. Her daughter is 40 now, and the regret is still there. She looked me straight in the eye and insisted, “Go. Don’t miss it.”
Of course, peer support matters, but culture is shaped from the top. That’s why the role of women in senior leadership is critical. When they use their voice to advocate for working moms, it doesn’t just change one person’s experience, it changes the entire workplace.
Women in senior leadership shape both culture and policy. By using their influence to normalize support for working moms and advocate for systemic change, they lay the groundwork for a workplace “village” that benefits everyone.
Here are a few ways senior women leaders can shape the village at work:
Advocate for flexibility. Model leaving for a school event or blocking family time on your calendar so others know it’s acceptable.
Mentor intentionally. Offer guidance and sponsorship to younger women, even if their career path looks different.
Open doors. Recommend working moms for assignments or leadership roles instead of assuming they don’t have the capacity.
Normalize conversations. Acknowledge the realities of motherhood in professional spaces, reminding moms that their challenges are valid and visible.
Share your own lessons. Whether it’s mistakes, regrets, or wins, your story can help another mom make better choices.
Advocate up the chain. Use your influence to push for better policies around parental leave, childcare support, or flexible schedules.
In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg argues that women mentoring women helps drive promotions [6]. I’ve been extremely lucky in my career to work for and alongside incredible women. Their mentorship changed the trajectory of my career. When people doubted me—“She’s too young,” “She doesn’t have enough experience”—these women went to bat for me. They influenced change, reframed perspectives, and gave me opportunities to prove myself.
And here’s the kicker: most of them were working moms whose kids were already grown. They had fought the battles and decided the next generation wouldn’t fight alone. They weren’t just supporting me in the moment, they were preparing to hand me the keys.
Senior women leaders aren’t only passing down leadership roles; they’re helping Millennial moms inherit a workplace where we can actually thrive, not just survive. That’s the village working moms need—community, advocacy, and a succession plan that sets us up for success.
The truth is, working moms can’t do this alone, and we shouldn’t have to. Yes, the home village matters. I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without my mom stepping in for school pickups or being the safety net that allowed me to grow. But in 2025, when nearly 80% of mothers work full time [4], the home village is no longer enough.
Sixty years ago, a workplace village would have been impossible. Too few women were in the workforce, and even fewer were in positions of influence.But today is different. Today, women make up a powerful force in every sector of the economy. We are no longer on the sidelines, we are at the table, and our numbers give us both responsibility and influence.
That influence matters. It means we can choose to see each other. We can choose to mentor, to advocate, to open doors, to normalize boundaries, and to remind each other what truly matters. And for senior women leaders, it means something even greater: preparing to hand the next generation the keys.
Succession isn’t just about org charts, it’s about passing down a workplace where Millennial moms can actually thrive, not just survive. When senior women leaders fight for change now, they aren’t just supporting today’s working moms, they’re shaping the workplace that tomorrow’s leaders will inherit.
Whether you’re a mom in the thick of daycare drop-offs, a seasoned leader whose kids are grown, or a woman who simply believes in lifting others—you are part of this village.
📣 Share this with a working mom. Invite another mom in. Speak up when you see bias. Offer encouragement. We all have a role to play.Because this is bigger than one of us, it’s about all of us.
Together, we are the village, we are building the future, and we are unstoppable.
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Create Membership📚 Sources & References
Pew Research Center (2019). The Changing Profile of Working Mothers. Shows the long-term increase in mothers’ workforce participation.
U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau. Historical tables: Mothers’ labor-force participation (1975–1988). Demonstrates the sharp rise in working moms during the “take-off years.”
Pew Research Center (2015). Raising Kids and Running a Household: How Working Parents Share the Load. Includes data on dual full-time working households.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024). Employment Characteristics of Families. Reports that 74% of mothers are in the labor force, with 79% of employed mothers working full time.
Correll, S., Benard, S., & Paik, I. (2007). Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty? American Journal of Sociology. Harvard/Cornell study documenting hiring, competence, and pay bias against mothers.
McKinsey & Company & LeanIn.Org (2024). Women in the Workplace Report. Highlights leadership gaps, sponsorship, burnout, and advancement barriers for women and mothers.Pew Research Center (2023). Parental Leave, Work Flexibility, and the “Flexibility Penalty”. Shows how flexible policies often come with hidden career costs.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). American Time Use Survey: Unpaid Care and Household Work by Gender. Demonstrates that mothers still spend nearly twice as much time as fathers on unpaid care.