I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

—Philippians 4:13

ual-income marriages are more the norm today than the exception.The

employment of wives and mothers rose dramatically from 1960 to 1990 and has

since leveled off (Cotter,England,& Hermsen,2007).Currently 65% of mothers who

have children under 5 years old are in the workforce.For mothers who have children over

5 years old,the rate has hovered between 79 and 80% for the last 6 years (Women in the

Labor Force,2007).Approximately 60% of families with children younger than 18 are

dual-income families—both parents in the workforce (U.S.Department of Labor,2008a).

This compares with less than one third of mothers in 1975.Working motherhood is a

relatively new phenomenon for middle-class families; however,black middle-class

mothers have preceded their white counterparts in the job market (Landry,2000).

FamiliesandWork

The Juggling Act

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