Mykin Higbee lives in Cedar Hills, raising her five children, aged 6 months to 9 years. For one day every other week, she leaves her children in the care of her husband or a baby sitter to work a 12-hour shift as a nurse.

According to a new study from the Pew Research Center, most American mothers would like to be in a similar situation.

Eighty percent of mothers who work part time said they would call their situation ideal. Half of all full-time working mothers would like to work part time, as well as a third of women who don't work outside the home.

Higbee said her family is her first priority. But being a nurse gives her a sense of empowerment.

"Part of who I am is a nurse. It helps my self esteem," she said.

Working helps Higbee make a little money that she gets to spend. It also lets her husband spend more time with the kids, and she gets a little break.

The only con is that sometimes it can be a hassle to come home to more work to do than when she left.

"The dishes are never done all the way the way you like them," she said.

In the past 10 years, fewer mothers said a full-time job was ideal for them. Since 1997, the number calling full-time work ideal has dropped 10 percentage points. The decline is the same for all educational levels.

There is actually a lower percentage of women with children in the workforce.

According to the Census Bureau, in 2004, 55 percent of mothers with infant children were in the labor force, down from a high of 59 percent in 1998.

Ron Hammond teaches behavioral science at Utah Valley State College. He said the reason may be that women have so much to do. They are working and still have responsibilities of home to fill.

"My guess is that it's a rational process. They're looking at a cost-to-benefit ratio," Hammond said.

One more trend that has emerged over the last decade is a sharper divide between moms who work and those who don't. More stay-at-home mothers tend to think mothers working full-time are bad for society -- 44 percent. While 34 percent of working mothers said the increase in working mothers is bad for society.

As far as whether a mother in the home is best for the children, Hammond said the results of research are mixed.

Higbee said her children are better with her than with a baby sitter because she cares more.

"Moms care more. It's your own kid," she said.

The survey was conducted by telephone from Feb. 16 through March 14 among 2,020 randomly-selected adults.

Brittani Lusk can be reached at 344-2549 or at blusk@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.