Mothers that work
Mothers that workThe Effects of Working Mothers on their Children
One mother expresses her personal experience and opinion on the effects of her employment on the children �I am happy to see support for the mom who wants to work outside of the home. By my children seeing me go to work, I am teaching them the values of hard work, commitment, and responsibility. I am also showing them that mothers and fathers share in all responsibilities of raising a family, financial and housework. There is no doubt in either my mind or my child�s that the first priority is each other. Out times together are positive. I have seen too many stay at home moms yelling at their children and worse, the children yelling at their mothers. I do not think this is the message that stay at home moms like to give. Their lives are now more enriched, never been happier, and that they are more fulfilled. Actually, I think a lot of stay at home moms justify their laziness and lack of ambition by saying they are staying at home for the benefit of the children� (abcnews.com 2).
For many years women have believed that if they returned to work after having children, their children would be harmed by the lack of a mother�s presence. This belief is no longer true. Studies have shown, �Despite the declining population of young people, the number and proportion of children with working mothers rose steadily during the past decade� (Kamerman 13). In fact, �1979 was the first time more U.S. children lived in families with a mother in the labor force than in families with a mother who was a full-time homemaker� (Kamerman 13). Mothers no longer have to worry; they are free to choose the career path they want to follow. Mothers can make this decision with confidence because experts believe that a mother who works has a positive effect on her children. Children with mothers in the workforce are taught responsibility, independence, the importance of an education, and also social skills that are acquired from day-care.
There are still a few experts that argue children are negatively effected by the absence of their mother. They believe that this absence can cause an attachment disorder. Some also report that the lack of their mother can make it harder for a mother and child to form an effective relationship. A recent study suggested �Returning to work later and having more breaks in employment was associated with more compliant and better behaved children� (Recer 2). However, this same study also noted that �the difference was very tiny and disappeared by the age of 5� (Recer 2). The effect of a working mother on her children has always been a controversial issue that experts have argued for decades.
The book Families that Work assures mothers that �the change in...
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