A study conducted in the United States has revealed that when both parents appear equally available, schools are 40% more likely to contact the mother rather than the father of a student. The research, based on a field survey involving more than 80,000 primary and secondary school principals, found that approximately 60% of principals contacted the mother first, while only 40% reached out to the father when neither parent seemed more accessible. This pattern suggests a tendency for schools to default to contacting mothers, even in cases where both parents are equally available. The study highlights how schools may unintentionally contribute to an imbalance in parental responsibilities by consistently reaching out to mothers. Even when emails explicitly stated that the father was more available, principals were still more likely to contact him, though the majority of schools continued to contact mothers first. Another interesting finding was that when the father sent an email while copying the mother, schools were slightly more inclined to contact him. However, mothers still received a significant share of the calls, indicating that the tendency to contact mothers persists even with these subtle cues. This behavior may contribute to the mental load associated with parenting, as mothers are often the ones managing the day-to-day logistics of family life. Previous research has shown that mothers are more likely than fathers to schedule medical appointments, organize extracurricular activities, and handle many behind-the-scenes tasks that keep family life running smoothly. By defaulting to contact mothers more frequently, schools may be reinforcing these existing gender roles and increasing the burden on mothers. The findings suggest that schools and other institutions may need to be more mindful of how they communicate with parents. While the intention is often to reach the most available parent, the consistent preference for contacting mothers could unintentionally shift more responsibility onto them. This underscores the importance of awareness and intentional practices in ensuring that both parents are equally engaged in their child's education and well-being.