Time Use of Mothers with Adolescents: A Lasting Impact of a Child's Disability

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the time use of mothers with adolescents with disabilities and mothers of adolescents without disabilities. Twenty mothers of adolescents (13 to 19 years old) with disabilities and 20 mothers of adolescents without disabilities completed time diaries for a period of seven 24-hour days. Mothers of adolescents with disabilities spent significantly more time in activities related to supervising their adolescents and less time in participation and socialization activities than mothers of adolescents without disabilities. As a child gets older, there is generally a decrease in the amount of time all mothers spend in childcare activities. However, mothers' occupations are impacted by having a child with a disability. Professionals working in partnership with families need to understand that the role of being a mother evolves as a child matures, and that a mother's time demands may impact the occupational engagement of all family members.