Impact of Working Mothers Revisited

ExchangeEveryDay for January 7 reported on a Harvard study that concluded "the 'working mother effect' actually improves future prospects, especially for adult daughters of mothers who worked outside the home before their daughters were 14 years old." The reasoning behind this report garnered some strong comments from readers, including:

"I sometimes wonder in these articles when we simply compare incomes if we ever look at what type of jobs/careers these women want. Income and status isn't the only way to look at success. We should be especially sensitive to that since those of us in Early Childhood Education are in a lot of low wage positions." -- Pat Chambers, Center for Children, La Crescenta, California

"I was a stay-at-home mom. I did not feel as though I was denied an opportunity to work outside of the home. To me, being home with my children, and having the ability to do so financially because of my husband's employment, was an absolute blessing. My adult daughters have attained undergraduate and graduate degrees and have good jobs--they seem no worse for wear for having a stay-at-home mom. What I think is important is having two parents who together work to raise the children, value education and value family. -- Lori, Pennsylvania

"...I am 55 years old and have been teaching my whole life. I am here to tell you I will take a child of an at home mom anyday day over the one that mothers work. Simply put there are more loved and it shows. I can tell within the first week of school which children have a mother that has made them a priority and which ones choose money over their own children. No wonder this world is so screwed up because of thinking like this, where material things are more important then a human life..." -- Anonymous

Go to the January 7 ExchangeEveryDay, "Impact of Working Mothers", to add your perspective and view new comments.

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