Abby McCloskey, Bloomberg Opinion, May 10, 2026

They say that women have more words than men. Let me just say, modern motherhood is challenging even the most verbose of us.

I recently had lunch with two fellow millennial mothers; one a corporate executive, the other a stay-at-home mom. Before the food arrived, the executive picked up her phone. “I’ve gotten 36 messages since we’ve been sitting here!” she exclaimed. No, not from work. From friends planning a girls’ weekend.

The other mom confessed that the pickleball league she leads had turned into a full-time job from the constant communication. I glanced down at my own phone: 118 unread texts, 548 unread GroupMes, 937 unread emails. I’ve looked at (some of) them. Really.

In 2026, the volume of digital communication for American mothers has reached record highs. It’s for personal things; professional things; and yes, for kids. A decade ago, school information came home in a folder or an envelope. Now it’s a game of catch-me-if-you-can with moms sifting through Group Mes, text threads, school emails, and SchoolPass and Vidigami notifications — and that’s before you ever get to planning a sleepover or figuring out a child’s homework.