Maine Families May Relate to New Survey About Mothers and Fathers

With Mother’s Day weekend here in Maine, a new survey is backing up something a lot of people probably already feel in their gut: for many Americans, mom was the center of the household growing up.

According to a new YouGov survey of more than 1,100 adults, Americans are twice as likely to say they felt closer to their mother than their father during childhood.

The survey also found more people plan to celebrate Mother’s Day than Father’s Day this year. About 47% say they’ll celebrate mom, compared to 34% who say they typically celebrate Father’s Day.

And honestly, for a lot of Maine families, that probably tracks.

Whether it was getting bundled up for the school bus during a January snowstorm, remembering every sports practice and doctor appointment, packing lunches, helping with homework, or somehow keeping the entire household schedule straight, moms often carried most of the daily responsibilities at home.

In fact, among people raised by both parents, 75% said their mother handled more of the housework growing up. Just 4% said their father did more.

More than half of respondents also said their mom was more involved in day-to-day activities, compared to only 6% who said their father took on that role.

The survey found women are especially likely to turn to their mothers for advice, while men were more likely to say they physically resemble their fathers.

One surprising bright spot? Most Americans say they actually get along pretty well with their in-laws, with the majority reporting they rarely, if ever, argue with their mother-in-law or father-in-law.

But as Mother’s Day approaches, the biggest takeaway from the survey is pretty simple: moms are often the glue holding everything together… even if they don’t always get enough credit for it.