Being a working mom can be challenging in many ways.
Not only is it physical demanding, but it can also be emotionally draining.
You may feel guilty about working and being away from your children and concerned about the negative effects it could have on them.
As a working mom the findings of a new study by the University of Michigan will be interesting for you.
According to the study:
- Children of working moms are not only healthier, they are also more successful themselves.
- Working mothers spend a fair bit of time (11 to 30 hours a week) with their children and they make this time very meaningful. They do this by being accessible when their children are at home, and by changing their chores/tasks & work schedule around the schedules of their children.
- Mothers who spend too much time with their children could actually be causing more harm than good. Children do not get a chance to be independent when their parents are constantly around and are less likely to pursue relationships with others.
- When a mother is around to quickly meet a child’s every need, that child might not learn to care for himself or does not learn the skills necessary to figure things out on his own.
While the study suggests that the amount of time a mother spends with a young child has no significant impact on the child’s social, academic or emotional performance, the case is different for teenagers.
Teenagers are more likely to be successful and avoid becoming delinquents if parents are more involved and around more often. Teenagers and adolescents who have parents who are more involved, are less likely to indulge in sex, drugs, alcohol and crime and are more likely to do well in school, sports and even part-time jobs.
They tend to self regulate their behavior if they know someone if around to keep an eye on them.
So what determines if a kid will become more successful as an adult?
According to the study, income was a major factor in the success and social development of the children involved. In each income bracket, the children who lived in homes with the highest income were the most successful.
This could be due to the fact that children often imitate what they see.
Children who grow up in homes where both parents are working and who see the results of that hard work, are more likely to work hard themselves, so they can have similar results.