Differences in parent-child quality time and labour outcomes.
14-12-2009
PARENTS HAVE TO BE BALANCERS
Staying home the first three years of your
childs life, as my previous blog suggested you should do, isnt that easy. Is
it even possible nowadays? You also shouldnt go working again immediately
after your child is born. You have to find a solution somewhere in between, the
perfect work-life balance. In the bookstore you can find tons of books about
parenting and how to do it right, but this is one I find interesting, doable
and realistic. It advises you to use the time you have with your children and
make it into quality time, turn the daily and normal activities with your child
into learning exercises. For example, you can do a word puzzle/game with your
children while you are driving them to school.
A rather pessimistic study by Christopher J.
Rhum says there is a negative influence on the verbal, reading and mathematical
skills of a child if its mother works during the first three years of its life.
Specifically, 3 to 4-year-olds have less verbal abilities and 5 to 6-year-olds
have more problems with mathematics and reading than children whose mother
didnt work during their first three years of life. I wonder is it then acceptable for a mother to start working again after her 3 weeks required maternity leave?
The pattern
of a classical family has undergone a few changes the last decades. The working
husband became the new man and the wife who cooks and cleans now follows the
new mommy track. This is the recently created word for mothers who found a
creative way to combine work and family. This creative way usually means
working less (part-time), using the newest media, like telecommuting, or making
sure you have flexible hours (start up your own business, work as a
freelancer). Having children isnt the same anymore as having to drop off your professional horizon. Nowadays women are more independent and can be a "money maker" in a family.
(Putting the link on a word didn't succeed. I don't know what's the reason, others have done it before but now it doesn't work anymore. My sincere apologies.)
Differences in parent-child quality time and labour outcomes.
