Millennial Mom With 2 Jobs on Why Her Generation Is ‘Working To Survive’

“Many mothers, myself included, are completely burnt out,” said a Michigan-based mom who works not one, not two, but three jobs.

Her experience reflects a broader reality: millennial mothers are burning the candle at both ends. In fact, research has revealed that 73 percent of moms born between 1981 and 1996 feel pressured to constantly maintain a strong front for their families.

That pressure extends beyond the home. A Talker Research survey released in March 2024 found that 62 percent of millennials feel burnt out at work—with women accounting for 53 percent of that group. Respondents cited repetitive tasks, lack of appreciation, and rising expectations without corresponding pay increases.

Together, these surveys highlight how burnout is hitting millennial mothers from all sides—both in their family lives and professional worlds. Newsweek spoke to mom-of-two Colleen Feeney, 35, who works full-time as a school social worker and part-time as a mental health therapist with young people, while also running a mobile bar with her husband.

Feeney said: “A friend recently said something that hit me hard: ‘Women are expected to work like they don’t have children, and parent like they don’t have jobs.’ We’re expected to carry the entire mental load and made to believe that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.”

Feeney added that, although she is passionate about her work, it doesn’t make “the load any less exhausting or overwhelming, especially while managing a household and all that comes with parenting and being a wife.”

She previously responded to a baby boomer on TikTok who criticized millennials for lacking urgency. In her video (@colleenlateshia), captioned, “We are not lazy we are burnt out!” Feeney highlighted the difficulty of giving 100 percent to one job while juggling several.

‘They Need the Money’

Jolie Silva, Ph.D., a psychologist and chief operating officer at New York Behavioral Health, told Newsweek how the pressure to “have it all” is affecting millennial mothers today.

Silva said: “Millennial mothers were raised in a climate of women’s empowerment—to climb the corporate ladder, be entrepreneurs, become highly educated, and make their own money. Most of these women also wanted to be moms and perhaps weren’t presented with the realities of ‘the hardest job.'”

Silva added that few career-driven women in their early 20s can fully grasp the mental burden, time demands, and emotional upheaval that come with the life-altering moment of having their first child.

“And the realities of being a working mother do not become apparent until they are in the thick of it. And then what? They need the money; they need to raise their kids; they are often tormented by mom guilt and torn in too many directions,” Silva said.

“While there are influencers promoting a more egalitarian home, the truth is that mothers usually take on more of the child-care responsibilities and are the ‘default parent.'”

Further research reinforces how overwhelming this reality can be. In an April 2024 Talker Research survey of 2,000 millennial moms, 77 percent admitted to forgetting what day it was at least occasionally. Only 16 percent said it rarely happens, while just 7 percent claimed it never does.

Taken together, these studies reveal a striking pattern: millennial mothers are not only overworked and undersupported, but also pushed into a constant state of mental overload that blurs even the basics of daily life.

Feeney added: “There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, and when you add in the idea of taking time for ourselves—’self-care’—it’s often met with overwhelming mom guilt.

“We feel like we’ve already been away from our kids too much because of work, so taking any more time feels selfish. That leaves us stuck in this constant internal battle: knowing we desperately need a break, yet feeling like we don’t deserve one.”

Is the Hustle Worth It?

Feeney said: “It’s worth it because it keeps a roof over our heads and food on the table. We keep hoping for that month when we’ll finally get ahead, but every time we get close, the cost of living seems to rise again. In that sense, yes—it has to be worth it.

“But do I want my kids to have to work this much and this hard one day? Absolutely not. My hope is that, someday, the cost of living and people’s salaries balance out so the next generations can enjoy more out of life than simply working to survive.”

Financial data backs up her concern. A 2025 report by LendingTree found that the annual cost of raising a young child has surged 35.7 percent since 2023.

Parents now spend an average of $29,419 a year, compared to $21,681 in the previous study. Over an 18-year period, those expenses total $297,674—up 25.3 percent from $237,482 two years earlier.

When viewed alongside surveys on mental health and burnout, this sharp rise in costs underscores why so many millennial mothers feel trapped in a cycle of financial and emotional strain.

Family therapist Reesa Morala, based in Temecula, California, told Newsweek that women in this age group are desperately trying to maintain both a “successful career and thriving family.”

“As they try to chase the myth of work-life balance, the rising child-care costs and stagnant wages leave many of them working just to pay for the care coverage while they are working,” said Morala, the owner of private practice Embrace Renewal Therapy and Wellness Collective.

Morala added: “It’s this infinity loop that would drive any person to madness; no wonder these working moms are feeling the burnout. They’re sacrificing their time for themselves, their relationships, and their families—and the bank account is still screaming, ‘it’s still not good enough.'”

How To Avoid Burnout Without Sacrificing Professional Growth

Sara Tans, a career coach for a child-care agency in Dallas, Texas, shared her top strategies with Newsweek:

1. Approach life in seasons. Parenthood is always evolving, and so are priorities. Redefine what growth means in each stage—sometimes, it is a promotion; other times, it is deepening expertise or simply maintaining balance.
2. Clarify priorities at work. Have direct conversations with your manager about the top goals and how success will be measured. Focus energy there, and don’t forget to share your wins openly.
3. Protect key boundaries. Choose one or two that matter most—whether logging off at a set time, school pickup, or fitting in a workout. These anchors create consistency and energy.
4. Build your support system. Burnout eases with connection. At work, lean on mentors and colleagues; at home, on family or child-care help; in the community, on neighbors or parent groups. Revisit often as needs change.