New Study Shows Women Are Better Multitaskers - DUH! But is Multitasking Always a Good Thing?

Ok, whether you are a working Mom or Stay at Home Mom, you know being a Mom is hard work. It's exhausting. I am a working Mom, an attorney with my own firm. Working for myself allows me flexibility to work when I need to, while still being available to my kids. It's great. I can go to the office and get a "break" - you know, pee when I want, eat when I want, talk on the phone without a kid hanging on me - all the stuff you can't do at home with the kiddies. I can also be there for my sons' school programs, playdates, and sick days. It's a scenario I always wanted and always thought I could manage. And I do. Some days are better than others chaos-wise, but I enjoy the ride.

So, if you are like me and literally collapse into your bed at night, sigh, and go off to NeverNeverLand, you will not be surprised by this piece of info. A new study finds that working moms are multitasking more than working fathers, but here's the kicker - the moms don't always enjoy the experience. Working mothers spend 10 more hours each week multitasking than working dads, 48.3 hours versus 38.9 hours, and they report more negative emotions about the experience than their male counterparts, according to the new study published in the December issue of the American Sociological Review.

"Our findings provide support for the popular notion that women are the ultimate multitaskers and suggest that the emotional experience of multitasking is very different for mothers and fathers," said Shira Offer, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. "Only mothers report negative emotions and feeling stressed and conflicted when they multitask at home and in public settings. By contrast, multitasking in these contexts is a positive experience for fathers."

Personally, I enjoy cooking dinner, folding the laundry, and checking my email while watching a the Food Network. It's the only way I can watch TV without feeling guilty.  And when I drive to work, I enjoy catching up on the phone with my family. However,  these days I'm trying to be cognizant and resist the urge to NOT multitask when I'm with my kids. Yes, admittedly, this was partly inspired by a great show on Oprah (Oprah rocks, even though I always cry when I watch it!  Seriously, how does she do that?) The Oprah show stressed being in the moment with your kids. You can't take it for granted. This spoke to my inner Mommy who already knew but needed a reminder that time with the kids should be about just that, not laundry, cleaning up, or my I-phone.

What is your experience of multitasking? Do you do it more than your children's father does? Do you enjoy it, dread it, or simply accept it as a fact of life? Most importantly, is your quest to multitask and to be efficient taking some quality moments away from you and your child? I hope that we all try really hard to remember to take the time to turn off the craziness, stop and breathe, and just be there with the kiddies.