Diverging Patterns in Women’s Reconciliation Behavior across Family Policies and Educational Groups

Most literature on mothers’ reconciliation of family and employment focuses on singular transitions. This article studies the totality of mothers’ reconciliation behavior across several births. Drawn from a larger sample in West Germany, it uses sequence analysis on the trajectories of 1,662 mothers of two children in the ten years following the first birth. Results suggest that returning mothers either alternate between births and employment soon afterwards, or delay their return until well after their reproductive phase. Furthermore, educational groups adapt differently to the extension of parental leave, resulting in their polarization. Both findings have immediate relevance for international policy.