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In this article, I examine the distribution of time pressure associated with the roles of marital partner and parent using data from a telephone survey. Results of an analysis of open-ended responses indicate that less than a quarter of respondents tire satisfied with the time they spend with their children and spouses. Women are more likely to want to improve the quality of family time, whereas men are somewhat more likely to want more time with their spouses and children. Regression analysis indicates that social support, hours of paid labor, hours of housework, job control, and having dependent children are all associated with significant variation in family time pressures. In contrast to research on general time pressure, there are no socioeconomic differences in family time pressures, and women do not experience significantly higher family time pressures than men do. Keywords: time pressure; family time; gender differences; parenting; marital relationship

Parenting strains are an important dimension of the parenting experience with significant implications for well-being. The cost-of-caring hypothesis suggests that mothers will be more adversely affected by parenting strains. In light of mixed support for the cost-of-caring hypothesis, the author argues that other social contexts may play a role in modifying the effect of parenting strains on men and women. To test this proposal, the author examines whether family labor configurations modify the relationship between parenting strains and depression among parents. Results indicate that the association between parenting strains and depression is similar among dual-earner mothers and father, whereas among mothers working part-time, the association between depression und parenting strains is significantly greater in comparison to fathers in comparable families. These results reinforce the importance of the organization of family and paid labor for understanding how parenting stressors influence the well-being of mothers and fathers. Keywords: parenting strains; distress; paid labor; cost of caring

This article examines gender differences in the influence of parenthood and social support on job satisfaction. This is important because there is ample evidence that work and family roles are managed and coordinated differently by men and women and therefore that home roles influence men's and women's job satisfaction differentially. Using a large random sample of the Toronto metropolitan area, gender differences in the impact of parenthood and social support from partners and coworkers on job satisfaction, controlling for job demands, are examined. Results indicate that mothers have higher job satisfaction than fathers and nonmothers. Coworker support is more important for men's job satisfaction than partner support. Partner support is highly significant for women's job satisfaction, whereas the influence of coworker support varies as a function of partner support. Implications for an understanding of gender differences in job satisfaction and in the experience of dual roles are discussed.

Previous research regarding the effect of children on mental health is mixed, with some studies suggesting that mothers are more depressed than their childless counterparts, and others finding no difference. Using a sample of 500 Canadian women, I test how resources and demands in the primary roles of parent, worker, and partner account for variation in the mental health of employed women. Demands are measured as job demands and as chronic strains in home roles. Resources are measured as job control and as partner support. Results indicate that when partner support and job control are high or average, employed mothers are significantly less distressed than employed nonmothers. Conversely, when role demands are high and resources are low, mothers are significantly more distressed than nonmothers. These results are discussed with respect to the interrelationships between social roles, resources, and mental health, and in terms of directions for future research., The literature suggests that women with paid employment experience lower rates of depression and anxiety than women who work in the home (Cleary & Mechanic, 1983; Ross & Mirowsky, 1995; [...]