Working Mothers and Mother-Child Relationships

As a working mother I am always torn between the positive impact of modeling successful behavior to two young girls, and the negative fall-out of not being there whenever they need me. I struggle with it less as they grow older, and have realized the joy that the various caregivers they have bring to their lives.

An article in the month's issue of Child Development is a study that deals with mother-child relationships in relation to the time mothers actually spend with their children. Heard it all before? This study is different in that it deals with mothers with infants - babies and toddlers, a much younger group than have been studied before.

"Employed mothers of infants spent less time on average with their infants than did nonemployed mothers, but the difference was much smaller than would be expected based on the amount of time that mothers spent at work." Significant findings of this reseach were that although employed mothers spent less time caring for their infant, they reallocated their leisure and housework time at home to allow more time with their infant, and it usually was in a more social interaction - talking, singing, playing.

The article reflects much of what is inherently known by most of us. But for me, many of the findings reinforced for me the positive benefits of me working. One in particular is: "We also found that mothers who spent more time at work provided slightly higher quality home environments, even though they did not have more education or better psychological adjustment. Employment may contribute some positive benefits to the family environment because of the income it generates or the intellectual and social stimulation it provides for the mother." [my italics]

I can relate - our home enviroment is all the more richer for me working. I love what I do, and my children can feel it.

Huston A. and Rosenkrantz Aronson S. "Mothers' Time With Infant and Time in Employment as Predictors of MotherChild Relationships and Children's Early Development" Child Development Volume 76 Issue 2 Page 467 - March 2005.