Abstract
The paper focuses on the effects that the full-time employment of both parents may have on children. Different studies are analyzed. The results of one show that the impact can be seen in adult life. The other study, however, proves that the effect of working parents on children can be seen as early as four and a half years of page. Nevertheless, a solution is presented for parents - working part-time.
In the modern world, stay at home mothers seems to be a thing of the past, a remnant of the 1960s or so. One imagines that in a regular family it is very normal and even expected for both parents to work. Because everyone wants to live in a nice home, in a good school district and be able to help their kids through all the extracurricular activities and college life. All of this needs money and that is why by both parents of many families are working while raising children. While some studies say that the effect of working parents will be seen in adulthood, others prove that the behavioral problems of children will start at a much younger age; however, part-time jobs may be the solution parents need.
A study has already proven that the effect of mothers going back to work very early in their infant’s lives led to discipline issues “reported by caregivers at age 4½ years and by teachers at first grade” (Polcovitz, 2013). The study focuses on full-time working mothers, who went back to work before their children were three months old. This shows the big impact of maternal care of the child in the first weeks of their new life. Nevertheless, there is one way to combine working and caring for you newborn.
The article “The Impact of Working Mothers on Child Development” suggests a possible solution to parents, who both need to retain their job after the birth of their child - part-time jobs (Polcovitz, 2013). While this may not be the ideal solution, it does mean that parents will be able to care more for their child, share their love and help the newborn develop into a more confident adult.
Past studies have shown an impact of parent employment on the adult life of their children, however, studies that are more recent show that the impact can be seen already at the age of four and a half; nevertheless, parents can avoid this by choosing to work part-time. If both decide to do so, in the end, a child may end up with one parent all the time and there will be no need to either put him/her into a daycare center at such a young age or hire a nanny, who is very likely not to care and love the child as much as the parents.
References
Hayes, C., & Kamerman, S. (1983). Children of working parents. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Pelcovitz, D. (2013). The Impact of Working Mothers on Child Development | Everyday Jewish Living | OU Life. OU Life. Retrieved 23 March 2016, from https://www.ou.org/life/parenting/impact-working-mothers-child-development-empirical-research-david-pelcovitz/
