Mothers That Work Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Effects of Working Mothers on their Children   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One mother expresses her personal experience and opinion on the effects of her employment on the children â€Å"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).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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, â€Å"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, â€Å"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.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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 ... ...dvantage of group care is the friendships that children develop with their peers during the care. One expert observed that children’s â€Å"contacts with each other often develop a sibling-like quality† (Webb 43). Some children involved in this study even went to one another’s homes to have dinner, to play on weekends, and occasionally, to stay for the night.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The mother who works as a professional has an extremely different influence on her children than one who works in a less intellectually demanding job or one who does not work at all. Children learn from the environment and the people that they are exposed to in life, especially in the early stages. When children are exposed to hard working parents it helps them to appreciate the value of responsibility and independence. The importance of a good education is immeasurable and is also a necessity for a child to grow into a prosperous adult. Another important factor that affects a child is the day care environment that the child is exposed to on a daily basis. A good day care provider can teach a child many skills. A child can also learn from the other children that they spend many hours with in day care.