Kindergarteners
from lower-income families who were babies when their mothers went to work
outside the home fare as well as or even better than children who had
stay-at-home moms, according to new research published by the American
Psychological Association.
This
finding, in a study published in APA's journal Developmental Psychology, is contrary to the
findings of previous studies of children born two to three decades ago. Family
income is apparently a key factor, with the new research finding children from
low-income families had slightly higher cognitive skills if their mothers went
back to work before they were 9 months old, and fewer conduct problems if their
mothers went back to work when they were between 9 and 24 months old. For children
in middle-income households, there were no ill effects if their mothers worked
when they were babies. However, for children in high-income households, the
study found small detrimental effects. The results showed no significant
differences across racial and ethnic groups.
"Moms
going back to work when children are still babies may affect the children
differently in contemporary society because there are so many more working
women today with greater responsibility for their families' income," said
lead author Caitlin McPherran Lombardi, PhD, of Boston College. "Different
cultural attitudes, more readily available and higher-quality child care and
more fathers participating in childrearing are other possible reasons for the
difference."
The
study used data from a National Center for Education Statistics longitudinal
survey that followed 10,700 children born in the United States in 2001. Prior
research that found a negative link between early maternal employment and
children's later development was based on data from large-scale U.S. studies of
children born in 1982, 1991 and 1993, the study said. For the more recent
survey, 31 percent of mothers reported no employment in the two years following
the child's birth, while 58 percent of mothers were employed before the child
was 9 months old and 11 percent were employed when their child was between 9
and 24 months. These numbers are similar to those reported in national
employment statistics from the same year, the study said.
The
NCES survey collected data about the children when they were 9 months, 2 years
and 4 years old, and when they entered kindergarten. Their households ran the
gamut of incomes from low to high, and the families spoke not only English or
Spanish, but other languages as well to ensure a nationally representative
sample.
Time,
stress and money were the main factors the researchers examined to determine
the effects of mothers' employment on children. Mothers reported how many hours
they worked, their wages and other sources of family income and described their
stress levels. Children's cognitive skills at the start of kindergarten were
measured using standardized tests of vocabulary, early reading and early
mathematical ability. The children's behavior in kindergarten was assessed via
teacher reports on a commonly used rating scale for preschool and kindergarten
behavior that included attention skills and interaction with peers.
"Most
mothers today return to full-time work soon after childbirth, and they are also
likely to remain in the labor market five years later, suggesting the
employment decisions soon after childbirth are pivotal to determining mothers'
long-term employment," said Lombardi. "Our findings suggest that
children from families with limited economic resources may benefit from paid
maternal leave policies that have been found to encourage mothers' employment
after childbearing."
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