To Work or Not?

This looks like a hokey study. Nothing was cited on the sample size and actual income level of the families. It seems to say rich kids are fatter and do worse in school when mom works, than when she doesn't, but it doesn't make a difference for poor kids. Hhhmmm maybe a little conservatism behind this, as in, kids in homes where Dad makes enough for mom to stay home do worse if mom works anyways?

Interesting but not at all surprising that the author of the study and the article would never allow us to take home the lesson that maybe it is a good thing when moms can take some significant time off of work to be with their kids, that maybe it would be good public policy to support those women and men who do care for their own children all day long. This could be done along with flexible work policies and improvements in child care quality--why does it have to be one against the other?

When is someone going to do a study invesigating the impact on kids when fathers work full-time? When are men going to graduate to parenthood rather than occaisional baby-sitters?

Kallesin, as a father I agree with you all the way. Too often in our society people have a judgemental view of stay home moms because they have bought into the idea that if you can not do "everything" then you are lacking. Well no surprise that those are the same folks who can not think critically and are probably the same people who change their thinking with the latest nfew story, without thinking on their own. Keep the faith and always family first!!

The big picture of this article is that America needs to improve its policies to assist with work-family stabilization. As of right now family policies do not exist in the United States of America. America has social and socioeconomic policies that are geared towards the individual rather than the family as a whole. Individualism has become apart of our cultural norm, so as Americans we have a built in assumption of individualism. The family is the main function of our society and always will be therefore policy makers certainly need to step up to create a more stable work-family society for the United States.

The big picture of this article is that America needs to improve its policies to assist with work-family stabilization. As of right now family policies do not exist in the United States of America. America has social and socioeconomic policies that are geared towards the individual rather than the family as a whole. Individualism has become apart of our cultural norm, so as Americans we have a built in assumption of individualism. The family is the main function of our society and always will be therefore policy makers certainly need to step up to create a more stable work-family society for the United States.

I am a well-educated working mom with a girl. Her dream is to be a vet. I will continue to be a role model for her, I will not teach her that she is nothing more than a baby machine, and she can just give up her dreams now. Why would it even matter if our girls suceed? So they can grow up and raise sucessful boys?

Wow...how disillusioned we are. We don't need to go back to the fifties? I am writing from a so-called "low -status" mother point of view. I was once told a story about a mother who was in the working-force, a so-called "high status" mother who did well in her career. Well on her death bed she was asked that if she had to live her life all over again what would she do differently. She stated that she surely wouldn't want to attend another board meeting, but instead to have spent more time with her children. This is something that you can never go back and obtain again, children grow up and go on with their own lives. It really doesn't matter whether the child/mother were low-status or high-status, what really matters is did she supply what really mattered for this child. I don't care what someones' studies indicated, children rich or poor need their mothers. When we hit that grave and stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords, there will be no high status children or low-status children. We will either be children of the Most High God or not....

Wow...how disillusioned we are. We don't need to go back to the fifties? I am writing from a so-called "low -status" mother point of view. I was once told a story about a mother who was in the working-force, a so-called "high status" mother who did well in her career. Well on her death bed she was asked that if she had to live her life all over again what would she do differently. She stated that she surely wouldn't want to attend another board meeting, but instead to have spent more time with her children. This is something that you can never go back and obtain again, children grow up and go on with their own lives. It really doesn't matter whether the child/mother were low-status or high-status, what really matters is did she supply what really mattered for this child. I don't care what someones' studies indicated, children rich or poor need their mothers. When we hit that grave and stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords, there will be no high status children or low-status children. We will either be children of the Most High God or not....

I would be interested in knowing what the same research group thinks of working dads who are single either because of divorce or early death of a loving wife. What impact does this have on a family? Given the changing roles of fathers in America, this is something the study should have done. Joe Biden is one such person and no one made him feel bad to support his family. Why does the media hate women?

Interesting article! Another research study designed to make moms feel guilty. Is there a similiar article for dads?

I was a stay at home mom for one year. It was a huge burden for my husband - he worried about layoffs, benefits and job security. He put in more hours that year. I enjoyed connecting to my daughter during that year. She did benefit from having me there. We worked hard at making sure she saw her dad as her nurturer caregiver, too.

Right now I work part-time. My job pays reasonably well and I schedule my work day around my daughter's school schedule. This opportunity is extremely rare. I thank my employers on a regular basis. I work 20 plus hours per week AND I am the chief nutricianist, homework helper, librarian, cook, cleaner, laundress, car maintainer, house repairer, financial planner, shopper, exercise planner, play date scheduler, enforcer of house rules, etc. My husband and I feel extremely lucky! Every teacher has said to us they wish they had a classroom full of kids like my daughter because she is smart, well-behaved, gets along with other kids, stays on task, and is respectful. Not sure what she'll be like at 11 or 12. I think every family needs to be intentional about what their values are and how they will live them.

A substantial research area needs to be on the impact of parental work on the entire family system. So many factors implact kids and parents such as flexible work schedules, employers expectations of a 40 hour work week, dinners together (there is research on this factor), types of family activities and outings, availability of good nutrician in school meals and in local retail establishments, local public transportation, health care options, etc.

I also don't see this research as tied to the national political debate. Sarah Palin's life seems exhausting to me. I couldn't do it. I would worry about a pregnant teen age daughter, a precious baby with a disability and 2 others who shouldn't be left behind. But Sarah and her family are willing to become involved on a national level. I am assuming her husband will step up to the plate more. They seem like they have a good family and they will continue to do so no matter what the future brings for them.

Interesting study! I am a working mom with a 8 year old daughter. I have been lucky enough to find a part-time job that both pays reasonably well and is flexible around my daughter's school schedule. I do 90% of house maintenace, cleaning, car upkeep, cooking, laundry, shopping, budgeting, planning, etc.
I am one of the lucky ones! My experience with friends and coworkers is that my employer is quite rare. My husband and I schedule our work lives around our daughter as much as we are able. What I've noticed about the stay at home moms is that they work - unpaid - quite a bit at the school or in their community as their children get older. They can be busier than those of us who work for pay either full or part time. No one is home full-time with kids. I was home for one year and found it very good for my daughter. However, it was not great for me or for my husband. He felt the pressure of layoffs and being the only provider of health care and other benefits. He worked longer hours and brought home more work. While I loved being at home and being around the neighborhood that year, I felt that I didn't have much to offer anyone except the ability to clean, to hug, to guide, and to juggle everyone else's needs. I almost lost my ability to think critically about and to talk with adults about anything other than kids. I would love to see another study of of the impact of the entire family with one part-time working parent (focused on childcare and the mundane) and one parent working full-time for income and for the benefits and where the other one focuses on the mundane family, house, cars, etc.

I have worked in early childhood education for 30 years, and I always advise parents to spend as much time at home with their children as possible. This isn't about moms only; this is about parents. No daycare or school can give your child as much as a parent can. And I have seen wonderful families cut back on vacations, new cars, bigger houses, in order to spend as much time together as a family as possible. That is the important issue. I have sen parents opt to both working part-time to get by. There are options. Stay with your kids as much as you can. They groww too soon.

Your children have to be your first priority. They did not ask to be born. It's terrible what I saw in the National Enquirer about Palins son and daughter. Everything in life is a trade off. Your children or your career. There are only 24 hours in a day. You can't have it all at the same time. Palin is proof of that.