Time for a feminist makeover this Christmas?

The holiday season gender trap is upon us with women absorbing most of the work and much of the stress  Grab a mince pie and a glass of fizz!

With the run up to the “holiday” season well under way we are now in full schmaltz overload. But there’s not much of a holiday about it for women, especially in the middle of a global pandemic when they are already assuming the lion’s share of household chores and child care. For women it’s a lot of work and this year the gender gap and gender trap are exacerbated. In 2020 we also have to work out the complicated intricacies of bubbles, tiers and social distancing which would confound even the most advanced risk modeller.  And by bubbles they don’t mean champagne.

It’s exhausting just reading about it. Someone pour me an eggnog, hot chocolate or gluhwein, and fetch me a gingerbread cookie while I put my feet up to recover from those thoughts.

It’s in the numbers

Research by the American Psychological Association, tells us that only 25% of women admit to relaxing during the holidays with 44% reporting higher stress levels between Thanksgiving and Christmas  In Australia a poll  identified the gender difference in preparation hours between holidays: Women put in 83 hours, on average, shopping, cooking, planning parties, decorating, and more. Men put in roughly 58 hours. In the UK a Mori poll indicates that only 14% of men reported feeling stress at Christmas compared to 27% of women. Nearly 60% of men  admitted to  feel “not stressed at all” by festive preparations. Only 42% of women said the same. The same poll shows that 49% of those surveyed find Christmas shopping highly stressful. This is supposed to be a holiday.

Our need to create perfect Christmas rituals is dragging women into a never-ending cycle of deeply ingrained gender coded roles. Many of us grew up watching our mothers run in ever decreasing circles trying to recreate perfect moments from their own childhoods. In so doing we trap ourselves in damaging patterns which heaven forbid we are passing on to our sons and daughters. It’s benevolent sexism hard at work.

Worth a Read: Why women suffer from gender burnout

Mother-centric

Targeted by relentless media campaigns depicting scenes of perfect domesticity, women come under increasing pressure to create a Hollywood type of day for their nearest and dearest. Media plays a large role in creating these mother-centric social norms with strong gender expectations around the holidays. Bloggers tell us how to handle all of this stress (make a list and check it twice, or take a scented bath) yet fail to mention bringing a partner into the equation or heading for the wine cooler, which seem infinitely more practical solutions.

Worth looking at: Download – Developing Resilience

Let’s not forget those that will spend Christmas alone estimated to be 1 million people in the U.K. So this is why the BBC’s  2017 Christmas ad showed a single dad struggling to cope is maybe a step in the right direction.

 Flip it to test it

Perhaps next year there will be Christmas miracle and women will be released from the kitchen and will move out of this sticky gender trap. This is a fun video depicting the flipping of current stereotypes.

So put your feet up. Watch a Hallmark movie, share the load and  avoid the holiday season gender trap

Do you want to set new goals for next year?  For career coaching CONTACT 3PLUS NOW.