Having Two Kids Makes Moms More Productive than Childless Peers

They say working moms tend to be the most unproductive and distracted employees in the office as they have to juggle everything. But a new study may prove that having more than one child can be an advantage for female employees as it boosts their efficiency.

A research carried out by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis in the United States showed that women with children tend to be more productive than their childless co-workers.

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To arrive at the conclusion, the researchers looked into 10,000 academic economists from different countries and measured their productivity based on the work they had published and weighted by the quality of the publication outlet.

The results showed that a woman’s productivity decreases by 15 to 17% when they have young kids but this changes when the child grows up. As a result, mothers become more productive and more so if they have more than one kid.

The study suggests that the increase in productivity among “responsible parents with a stronger commitment to work” more than cancels out any decline in productivity brought about by the extra burden of parenthood.

According to Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and a mother of five kids aged 17 to 22, being a mom made her better at work. Hilsenrath revealed that after taking a career break to have children, she learned skills that she didn’t have before.

“I suspect that if you are professional and you decide to have half a dozen kids and keep up your career, you are by definition somebody who is a good multi-tasker. It’s not just about effect, it’s about cause – all the different elements that go towards that productivity.”

Productivity Tips for Working Moms

With so much things to juggle such as time for family, friends, for one’s self and for work, it’s hard for working moms to be productive and achieve work-life balance. But here are four useful tips that can boost a working mother’s productivity.

  1. Prioritize five tasks that bring you joy.
  2. Learn how to delegate and let go of the mom guilt.
  3. Schedule everything, including home tasks and personal stuff, on a calendar, down to the minute.
  4. You must know when and when not to multitask.
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