Today’s moms wear many hats compared to other countries

You have just over a week to buy your mom a Mother’s Day gift. Today’s moms have to wear many hats. Some mothers say juggling their roles can be overwhelming.

Violet Meir knows the stress of doing it all — work, school and taking care of a baby.

“I just want to cry,” Meir said. “Most of the time I just want to cry when it gets to that point.”

It’s similar for one mom after another.

“I do need a break sometimes. But it’s mainly, I don’t do it often,” Meir said. “I do it all. And I think he just expects me to do it all.”

Moms describe trying to fit grocery shopping, cleaning, working, socializing, making time for their husbands, you name it and a hectic schedule. While some also try to bond with their newborn babies.

“That was pretty difficult because sometimes I would get home and he wouldn’t be awake,” Meir said.

And these mothers are not alone. One woman took to social media with a nearly 2,000-word rant about societal expectations of moms. The post went viral and resonated with moms everywhere.

“Society expects everybody to work nowadays,” Meir said.

Abb Finn, director of the clinical mental health program at FGCU said there are many factors that go into today’s societal expectations.

“The U.S is the only industrialized country that does not have paid parental leave,” Finn said. “Social media. I think we’re living in a goldfish bowl where everybody is watching everybody else.”

Moms make it clear they love their jobs despite the obstacles that come with it.

“It’s my job. It’s what I do. I’m a mother,” Meir said. “This is my first kid, and he’s a pain in the neck, but I love him. He’s so much fun.”