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Moms are often the unsung heroes of global mobility. Whether they’re the relocating employee or the accompanying partner, they carry the invisible load that can make or break a move. From coordinating schools and healthcare to managing routines, emotions, and even dual careers, their role is critical—and too often overlooked.

This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating the women behind successful relocations and calling for greater recognition and support for the roles they play.

The Hidden Drivers of Relocation Success

Ask any seasoned mobility professional about the top reasons for assignment failure, and one answer rises above the rest: family challenges, particularly spouse or partner dissatisfaction.

Behind the scenes of every smooth relocation, there’s often a mom helping children adapt, rebuilding routines, navigating cultural nuances, and creating stability in the face of change. She’s managing the emotional labor and the logistics: school searches, doctor visits, housing decisions, and calming anxieties that come with upheaval.

And while she’s supporting everyone else, who’s supporting her?

The toll can be heavy—social isolation, emotional fatigue, and even a loss of identity, especially when career ambitions are placed on hold.

The Dual-Career Dilemma

Many moms are professionals, too. But balancing relocation with a thriving career remains a significant challenge. In our blog series from earlier this year, The Dual-Career Crossroads, we explored how dual-career couples navigate mobility and the sacrifices that are too often expected of women. Despite tremendous gains in workplace equity, women still decline assignment opportunities at disproportionately higher rates than men. A major reason? Concerns about family disruption and partner career support.

This begs the question: How can employers support families and mothers to drive better assignment outcomes? And how can we support their careers, so that every member of the family can thrive professionally and personally?

What Employers Can Do to Support Moms in Mobility

When employers invest in supporting families, especially mothers, they’re investing in relocation success. That means happier employees, smoother transitions, and stronger assignment outcomes.

Here’s what that support can look like:

• Early, transparent communication about relocation timelines and expectations.

• Partner/family consultation early in the planning process to reduce unknowns and anxiety.
• Spousal career support programs—job search help, remote work flexibility, or networking opportunities.
• Resources that ease family transitions (school search, community integration, mental health support).
• Flexible work arrangements for both partners, especially during the critical settling-in period.
• Acknowledgement of the mental load of managing a relocation—recognition and empathy go a long way.

As the mobility ecosystem becomes increasingly more complex to navigate, supporting mothers is so much more than a nice-to-have—it’s a smart investment in assignment success. The proof is in the numbers:

The bottom line: Empowered, informed, and supported mothers make moves (and life) happen for their families, for the employee, and for the business.

Happy Mother’s Day to the MVPs of mobility. We see you. We appreciate you. And we’re committed to doing better, together.

And now, some words of wisdom from the mobility mavericks and supermoms who make up our Weichert Advisory Services team:

Children learn what they live, and I’d like to think that my daughter’s resilience, adaptability, willingness to step out of her comfort zone, and dogged determination have been formed, at least in part, by her observing me in my 34-year, multi-faceted relocation career. We even did our own cross-country-and-back move right in the middle of it, which gave me a first-hand appreciation for the stresses of the process, indeed.

Although I didn't grow up in the mobility industry, my three boys practically did! I involved them in my work, sharing stories about my travels to meet colleagues and clients, and even bringing them to the office to meet the team and "help out." As a result, they have no fear of traveling and have confidently spread their wings to study away at college. It wasn't easy to balance my time between being away and being with them, but I made sure to share both the highs and lows so they understand how much I miss them and that they, too, will face tough decisions. I hope they find the same support and patience from mentors and colleagues that their mom has been so fortunate to have over the years.

Parenting is like being in the middle of a tornado; you can't see much while you're in it. But whisking your kid off to a new place can help them become more resilient and give them a wider perspective, making them world travelers instead of couch potatoes.

My kids have grown up with a ReloMom- so just like so many other moms in our industry; I’ve missed birthdays and holidays but they’ve always known I’m a call or text away. I believe my job as a working mom in this industry has enriched their lives too; they have absolutely embraced a thirst for travel and multicultural experiences.