While chatting after a faculty meeting, my colleague Dr. Kristen Farris and I bonded over the constant notifications we were receiving from our children’s childcare apps. We loved seeing photos of our kids having fun at school and daycare; but the updates, we agreed, could also be incredibly distracting!

Like most of my research ideas—sparked by real-world communication challenges—we decided to study how working mothers experience childcare app communication.

This qualitative analysis explores how working moms navigate ideal worker and motherhood norms through childcare apps at work. In the paper, we share practical insights for employers, app developers, and working parents, so please read and share!