Introduction  

Women make up half of the working-age population in Northern Ireland. However, only  65% of women are employed, and 39% of those work part time. Almost an equal  amount are economically “inactive” due to family/home commitments. Some mothers  choose not to work, or to work less hours while they are raising children. However, for  many other women, they effectively have little or no choice. If they did not work, they  would not be able to bring enough income to support their families. 

Despite these realities, the truth is that many mothers worry about the impact of their  employment on their children. They are concerned that they might miss out on important  developmental milestones or feel guilty that they are “putting work ahead of family”. In  the past, this was a mainstream view. In 1984, 49% of those surveyed agreed with the  statement: “A man’s job is to earn money; a woman’s job is to look after the home and  family”. However notably in 2017, just 8% of respondents agreed.  

Although this suggests that society has collectively begun to see working mothers as  normal, many of the structural barriers continue to exist. In some ways, the focus has  shifted in such a way that women are under dual pressures – whereas historically they  would have only been expected to look after a home and family, they now quite often  have a job as well. While society may have accepted that women ought to have the  right to work, the majority of childcare and house work is still undertaken by women. In  2016 the ONS found that women spent around 40% more time on unpaid chores than  men. 

This article will examine what some academic sources say about the impact that  working has on mothers and their children. It will give advice on how to potentially avoid  unnecessary stresses, and to minimise any negative outcomes for children. 

Is it good for children to have a working mother?  

As previously mentioned, many mothers do not have the privilege of deciding if they  wish to work or not. This can be particularly challenging for single-parent households  where the other parent is not involved, or where there is limited familial support.  However, what does the evidence say about children having a working mother? 

We know that there are there some older studies which note that there may be some  negative impacts. A 2010 Australian study noted that there was a link between mothers  working longer hours and children watching more television. In turn, this led to  increased weight gain in children and decreased exercise. The study found that women  who worked longer hours had less direct supervision of their children. Because of this,  they often felt uncomfortable letting their children play outdoors, and preferred them to  amuse themselves in a relatively safer indoor space. This in turn led to more time spent  watching TV. Additionally, less time to cook meals caused an increase in the amount of  “junk” food consumed. 

Additionally, a study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) in 2001 found that when  mothers returned to full-time work before their child was 5 years old, risks of lower 

outcomes for their children increased. They suggested such children had lower  educational attainment and more unemployment. The reason suggested in this report  for these outcomes was that mothers would have less time for direct interaction with  their children during these crucial periods. However, the report was not unequivocal in  its warning. It noted that there significantly less negative outcomes for mothers who  work part time as opposed to full-time. Additionally, it suggested that when women  work, it increases the household income which is likely to have positive impacts on  children that were not measured in the report. Given the deleterious effects poverty has on families and children, it was proposed that any negative impacts of working could be  outweighed by a mother’s work avoiding financial strain in later life. 

Additionally, a study conducted by LSA and the University of Oxford in 2016 found that  children whose mothers worked had better social and “everyday” skills. These results  included children who were considered to be “very young”. By comparison, it suggested  that children whose mothers are not working had lower outcomes in social, mobility,  talking and “everyday” skills. They found that where mothers (and fathers) were active  and engaged in their parenting, children’s outcomes improved. Therefore, it can be  suggested that a mother working is not necessarily negative for even young children.  Rather, it can be positive provided that mothers are careful not to allow work to interfere  with having an engaged parenting style. 

A more recent study, conducted in 2018 looked at the positives for children of having a  working mother. This extensive report looked at the impacts across a very large number  of countries including the UK, France, Finland and the USA. Overall, it found a positive  link particularly between daughters of mothers who worked and: 

– Higher levels of employment; 

– Higher pay in employment; 

– More supervisory roles 

They also found that sons of working mothers had significantly more egalitarian gender  attitudes, and were more supportive of women’s engagement in the labour market. They  also shared responsibilities better in household work. This report found that children are  often influenced by the employment choices of their parents, in particular the same-sex  parent. Importantly, the report also found no evidence that positive impacts for  daughters translated to negative outcomes for sons. While girls were more likely to  benefit, boys did not experience any negative impact from having a working mother. 

Many mothers are concerned not only about the later outcomes of their children, but  their emotional wellbeing as well. The feeling of guilt associated with working and  missing time with children, particularly younger children is a major motivating factor of  many mothers seeking to leave employment. However, a report by Harvard Business  school found that children of working mothers are just as happy as adults as those  whose mothers did not work.

A study in 2014 by the University of Wollongong in Australia found that children whose  mothers worked more than 35 hours a week were more likely to pursue higher  education as well. Unlike the earlier report by the JRF, this report focused on teenage children. It found that teens whose mothers worked full time were less likely to leave  school at 16 as well. 

In summary, some older studies suggest there may be challenges for children whose  mothers work very long hours compared to part time-work and these challenges are  most significant when the child is aged 5 or under. However, there is a range of  evidence, which suggests that there are many positive outcomes for children when their  mothers work later in their lives, or if they work part-time.  

Additionally, the impact of financial hardship is much greater (in a negative sense) than  any associated effects or impacts of working mothers. Therefore, if mothers choose to  work or feel that they must work for financial reasons, they should not feel guilt. Instead,  it’s important that mothers recognise all the positives that there work is bringing to them  and their children. 

Is it good for me?  

Mothers will naturally worry most about the effects their work will have on their children  first. However, it is important that they also consider the impact of going back to work  will have on themselves. Parents who are stressed often find it more difficult to parent  effectively, and being a working mother is likely to cause stress. So presuming that a  mother has the means to choose if and when she wants to work as well as how much,  what is best for her? 

Naturally, this will depend on each individual. Some women will be very keen to return  to a career they are passionate about. Others will be less enthusiastic about going back  to full time work. A study in the United States looked at the impact on mood and  happiness working had on mothers. It found that both positive and negative impacts are  possible. Women who went back to work often felt more accomplished and self confident, but also more stressed. The source of this stress was found to be inter-role  conflicts. In other words, difficulties between juggling being a mother and an employee. Additionally, the researchers suggested that these stresses may be more heightened for  mothers than for fathers, because they found that women were more likely to process  their role as a mother and an employee at the same time. Fathers on the other hand  tended to deal with these roles one at a time. This is at least partially because mothers  are more likely to be called in the event of a family problem – such as a sick child. 

The Working Mother Research Institute conducted a survey in 2015 of working mothers  asking how they felt. They found some unsurprising findings – that mothers that make  less money are less satisfied for example. They also found that mothers tend to de prioritise self-care when there are high levels of stress between work and home life. The  biggest single contributing factor to satisfaction for working mothers was flexible  working.

This conclusion was supported by a survey of mid-career working mothers in Ireland.  They found that family structure and parenting responsibilities were central to predicting  levels of stress. The more support working mothers had, the less likely it was for them  to experience burnout. They also described the centrality of flexible working, and  divided it into two forms: 

– “Formal” flexibility – this was things like flexi-time, part time working or other  contractual arrangements that allowed working mothers to predict when they  would be able to take more (or less) parental responsibilities; 

– “Informal” flexibility – this referred to employers being more or less willing to allow  for sudden changes in circumstances (like a child needing to come home early  from school). 

Both types of flexibility were considered helpful, but whereas mothers felt they should  be entitled to formal flexibility, they felt they needed to earn informal flexibility. Either  way, it is clear that the more flexible the working pattern, the better outcomes for  working mothers would be. As such, when a mother is considering returning to work,  she should seek out flexible working patterns if at all possible. The good news is that  the law in the UK provides the right to ask for flexible working as long as you: 

– Are an employee, but not an agency worker (other than those returning from a  period of parental leave) or in the armed forces; 

– Have worked for your employer for 26 weeks continuously before applying; 

– Have not made another application to work flexibly under the right during the past  12 month. 

If you meet their criteria, your employer must legally consider your request seriously,  and only reject it if there are good business reasons for doing so. 

Conclusion  

It is clear that there are potential negatives and positives relating to being a working  mother. It is inevitable that lower levels of supervision provide more opportunities for  undesirable behaviour. However, the positives are significant – especially for daughters and for women themselves. Mothers who are already working should not feel guilty, and  can reduce stress on themselves by considering any possibilities for flexible working.  The best way to safeguard against any negative outcomes, will still enjoying the benefits  of the positive aspects is to ensure that your parenting is not affected. If a working  mother is careful to continue to parent in an engaged and active manner, there are few  meaningful negative consequences to working. 

The good news for mothers is that the evidence suggests that working or not working is  not determinative. Research suggests that both can have positives or negatives, and  that those negatives are not set in stone. Therefore, women should feel empowered to  do what they feel is right for their children, their families and themselves. If they choose to stay at home, or to return to work, they should not feel guilt or fear about the impact it  will have on their children. Instead, they should simply be aware of the realities and  adjust their choices accordingly.

Sources:  

“Work-life integration: experiences of mid-career professional working mothers” Grady,  G. & McCarthy, A.M. (2018) journal of managerial psychology 

“Moms @ Work: The working Mother Report” The Working Mother Institute (2015) 

“Multiple Role Juggling and Daily Mood States in Working Mothers: An Experience  Sampling Study” Williams, K.J., et al. (1991) Journal of Applied Psychology 

“Do working mothers raise couch potato kids? Maternal employment and children’s  lifestyle behaviours and weight in early childhood” Brown, J.E., et al. (2010) Social  Science & Medicine 

“Learning from Mum: Cross-National Evidence Linking Maternal Employment and Adult  Children’s Outcomes” McGinn, K.L., et al. (2018) Work, Employment and Society 

“The effect of parents’ employment on outcomes for children” Ermisch, J. &  Francesconi, M. (2001) Joseph Rowntree Foundation 

“Maternal working hours and the well-being of adolescent children” Mendolia, S. (2014)  University of Wollongong Working Paper 

“Women in Northern Ireland 2017” NISRA (2018) 

“British Social Attitudes Survey 35” NatCen Social Research (2017) 

“The development and happiness of very young children” Anand, P. & Roope, L. (2016)  Social Choice and Welfare