Taking Time Away from “Smelling the Roses”: Where Do Mothers Raising Children with Disabilities Find the Time to Work?

Peter D. Brandon, University of Massachusetts

Studies show that increasing numbers of children have a disability and that they are raised by working parents. Strides have also been made in showing that mothers raising children with disabilities have greater difficulties associated with employment than mothers raising children without disabilities. Despite experiencing more difficulties more frequently, most mothers raising children with disabilities work and like most families, they too must juggle work and family demands. However, unlike working mothers whose children are not disabled, working mothers raising disabled children face added obstacles and tasks associated with the children’s conditions. Given that raising children with disabilities compared with children without disabilities involves more tasks and time, an unanswered question is: how do working mothers raising children with disabilities find the time to work? Using data from time use diaries, this study theorizes and shows that these particular mothers find the time to work by reducing time for leisure activities.