24/7: A Resource For Working Parents
Working Parent "Guilt"
Parents have to provide for their families. And in most Canadian families, that means two parents (or a single parent) working outside the home. It’s always been assumed that fathers will need to work outside the home. But the idea of full-time employed mothers is still relatively new in our social history. Ever since the 1970s, when it became more common for mothers with young children to work outside the home, people have wondered, and debated, about whether not having a ”working mom” is bad for children. As a consequence, some parents, especially women, say they feel guilty about working outside the home. If that’s you, here are a few thoughts that might make you feel a little better.
You’re not harming your child by working
Even though gender roles have shifted, with fathers doing more work inside the home than in the past and mothers doing more work outside the home, there is still one aspect of working parent guilt that tends to be felt primarily by women. Will my kids be OK in the long run.? Be reassured! There is no evidence that children of working moms are any more likely to have behaviour or emotional problems than children of stay-home parents. In fact, children of single moms tend to do better in life when their mom works outside the home. Daughters of working moms tend to become better educated. Need more convincing? Watch this interview with Professor Kathleen McGinn, professor of Business Administration at Harvard University, who has studied the impact of working moms on children’s development.