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The Working Mother

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The Working Mother
Working mothers are once again under scrutiny from the society. For a long time the belief

has been that working mothers are not able to give their children the love and care that they

deserve and therefore make their children have limited growth and development in both social

and cognitive aspects (Raquel 1173). The view is that the relationship with the mother helps a

child establish and maintain relationships with others. However, recent studies have proven that

working mothers have a positive effect on their children, thus failing to prove the once widely

held belief that mothers were meant to stay at home.

Ever since women began entering the work force the debate has been looming over working

mothers and those who choose to remain at home with their children. Such concerns are whether

or not having a working mother negatively affects their children emotionally and/or

academically. Another concern is the stress level a working mother faces on a daily basis.

Children raised by working mothers achieve higher academic grades and adjust well socially

(Lois Wladis Hoffman 438). Several studies show that children with working mothers achieve

higher grade point averages and also develop good attitudes about school (Montemayor 113).

The children achieve better intellectual and social growth and this is especially true for the

daughters who try to imitate the independent capabilities of the mother (Hoffman, Lois 21).

Working mothers are more likely to influence their children to pursue and achieve academic and

social interests. According to Kagan (165) and Leon Hoffman (41) children are likely to honor

what the mother does rather than say and therefore a child whose mother praises intellectual

competence by being an intellectual herself is more likely to be emulated by her children than

one who praises the same but is but has no experience.

Working mothers give a greater



Cited: Blake, Heidi. “Working Mothers do not Harm their Children, Study Finds.” Telegraph 01 Aug. 2010. Web. Hoffman, Leon Hoffman, Lois, Emerita, & Arbor, Ann. The Effect of Mother’s Employment on the Family and the Child. Parenthood in America. 1998. Web. 2 Apr. 2011 Hoffman, Lois Wladis Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. 437-440. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. Kagan, Jerome. “The Role of Parents in Children’s Pychological Development.” Pediatrics. Vol. 104 No. 1: 164-167 Web. 31 Mar. 2011. Montemayor, Raymond & Clayton, Mark. “Maternal Employment and Adolescent Development.” Theory Into Practice. Vol. 22 No. 2: 110-118. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. Myers, Kristen, Anderson, Cynthia, & Risman, Barbra. Feminist Foundations: Toward Transforming Sociology. UK: SAGE, 1998. Print.

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