ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

Thanks to Columbia for assembing these facts. Some research on children of working mothers goes way back. Economic studies found that it was wise to
encourage mothers with children to work because they were committed to children, use their money to benefit children, and provide a role model of family self-sufficiency through work to both boys and girls in their families. Today we have enough data in this country to know that there is a benefit to parenting
when mothers work. Maybe when parents see their children with other children the same age, they are better able to take pride in them and enjoy them.

I laughed when I read that "mother who worked... were more likely to place their children in high quality child care." Perhaps the non-working moms aren't placing their children in high quality child care because they don't need to...they're home with their kids.

This was a very disappointing piece of information to receive from the "Child Care" exchange. I would imagine that a significant majority of your newsletter readers are moms who work outside the home. There is no further information about the article and even the abstract is not available online. I would suspect that there are many characteristics of families where the mother is able to stay home full or part time in the first year that could have major influence on cognitive development. This tiny snippet is misleading at best, but also makes women feel guilty for working whether by choice or by necessity. In addition, the people who read this are the people who are likely providing that child care for moms. Yes, there is a lack of quality infant care out there - perhaps this would be the issue to focus on?

I expect much more from the Exchange Every Day.
Emily

This snippet of research is the kind of thing that newspapers print that exacerbates the guilt of mothers. It adds to the Mommy wars, deepening a divide between mothers who work outside of the home and mothers who don't. Also, where is the study on the fathers?