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This weekend (8 May) we celebrate Mother?s Day in the United States.  A recent article details the changing face of motherhood in the US.  A summary of the findings:

1. In 2008, 82% of women between the ages of 40-44 have given birth.  In 1976, that figure was 90%.
2. In 2010, the number of single mothers living with children younger than 18 is 9.9 million.  That figure was 3.4 million in 1970.
3. In 2007, the number of custodial mothers who were due child support was 5.6 million.
4. Of the 4 million women 15 to 44 years of age who had a birth in the last year, 1.5 million (38%) were to women who were not married, separated, or married but with an absent spouse.  Of those 1.5 million mothers, 425,000 were living with a cohabiting partner.
5. In 2008, there were 32.6 twin births per 1,000 births?the highest rate on record.
6. Women with a graduate or professional degree have a higher fertility rate than any other level of education among women.

As we celebrate this very special holiday, the nature of the American mother is changing.  And the effect these changes will have on children is not really known.  It is doubtful that all of these statistics mean something positive for children.  In fact, over time, these effects will probably be more negative than positive.  The nature of motherhood is changing?and these statistics summarize the extent of that change.

See World (7 May 2011), p. 10.PDF