Working mums: new study finds going out to work has no harmful effect on small children

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello. We've just had the heads-up on this study suggesting that there are no significant detrimental effects on a child's social or emotional development if her or his mother works during her or his early years.

In fact, young girls may even gain from being in a household where their mother works, say researchers at University College London, in a UK-wide project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

These findings run counter to those of some previous studies, which have suggested that children whose mother works in the first year of their life may be more prone to bad behaviour, or even to be more overweight.

What do you think? Do the new findings surprise you? Or confirm what you already knew? Do tell...

FrozenNorthPole, good points. Those of us who think it is flawed don't have enough information about it. We can only surmise from what we read in the paper. From what you have said, it does sound a lot better than the impression given in the paper.

'for me this confirms that there's a report/study out there to support whatever side of the fence you happen to sit on and that people on the opposite side on the fence will look for flaws in the studies they don't agree with.' urbandaisy I agree with you.
Also very much agree with Allinabinbag's post too.
The papers have picked up on part of the study and as always they slant it to make the best headlines. There are many studies which show the opposite and that long periods in childcare are not the best for very young children (very large longitudal studies too) but there are so many variables it is impossible to have a blanket statement. So by all means choose to believe the one which suits you.
Also, people are picking up that it is 'on the whole' best to have 2 working parents-according to this. As pointed out by this research, apparantly boys do not do best. So it isn't really concluding much. I have boys (and girls) and SAH, so I am OK?
In my eyes (and I have been both f/t WM and SAHM) whatever makes you happy is right for you/your family.

So I would want to know WHY boys don't do best according to this 'research' and why it is better for parents to spend large time away from their children; ie is it financial benefit, educational or are childcarers simply better at parenting.

It's rubbish that the overtones of blaming/not blaming mums originate in the press, the author of the paper says in the press release 'working mums have nothing to feel guilty for' as if this lays to rest the matter for once and for all. So does the headline. What they have found is massively overstated in the press release. I know what it's like to have this happen, but it's more likely to be the press office spicing it up (and the poor researchers going along with it, whilst knowing all the limitations and caveats of their own work).

As for political overtones in epidemiological/statistical work, of course there are tonnes. Some types of findings, such as about working mums, are siezed on as topical and controversial. Some findings are so controversial that they don't get published at all (I know someone in the ALSPAC study that this has happened to) or the journals veto them as too 'hot to handle'. Some social scientists have barely concealed agendas, and only find things that support those agendas (think autism research). The idea that this stuff just pops up, all neutral and scientific, out of your data is rubbish. Every statistician I know knows how to cut their data in different ways if they don't find what they want first time around. That doesn't mean they are making it up, more that the framing of work and what gets to press is politically/personally influenced. Don't be offended by it, you have probably benefitted from the political hysteria around obesity as I have in my own research strand.

I am not rubbishing the study, they may be well-designed measures, but from what I can see (and what use is an abstract, the press release had more information in it, I would like full public access to the data), it is based on self-report data which has its own inherent problems and, as they themselves admit, much of what is happening is explained by well-known correlates of working women, namely higher education and less depression (although weirdly only for one gender).

Being critical of expensive epidemiological studies that cost a lot of money and are used for political ends even if the authors didn't intend that is a good thing.

I agree. I have just briefly skimmed the report and feel the same as before reading it fully. The study admits that the differences or 'difficulties' could be explained a good way by household income and maternal characteristics. Also, importantly, admits the bias in how information was collected. As it was mostly mothers who reported their child's behaviour it could have been affected by spending long periods at work. The study also only relates to white children so where does that leave people with strong religious views of traditional families.

sorry, the above should read how does that affect people from other ethnic backgrounds and with religious views etc.

Sorry, I haven't read all this so won't blame if you don't read my boring post. Many factors determine who you become and whether a mother works or not is but a small piece of a massive jigsaw.

what a massive relief
snort
picks up briefcase

I'm afraid I am more convinced by Oliver James views.....I know people choose to go back to work but sorry I have worked in a pre school and no one is going to be as attentive to your child as you or a close relative, unless you get very lucky. Now it is not the end of the world if your child does not get exactly what you would give it but let's not pretend that other care is the same as parental care.I say this as someone who may indeed return to work before my child is 3 but I won't pretend it is the best for my son just to make me feel vindicated in my choices.

As a single-parent-dad no one has ever said anything to me about working.

And when I cut my hours and even went part-time eyebrows were raised about my working less.

When I was still married no one said anything to me about why I was going back to work after the birth of our children, though a couple of people said my ex was abrogating her responsibilities by her using a nursery, but said nothing about me doing the same.

I do put the male view forward on here but feel mums get a hard time about working and about not working. Which fathers don't get.

It's not really something I was aware of until I entered the world of MN, I think as long as the parents are supportive and loving it doesn't really matter what parents do about work etc. and people should stop giving each other a hardtime over their choices.

Stop the guilt.

Truck

Cherrysodalover FGS who is stupid enough to suggest close family care is the same as paid care. It's a damned sight better than being homeless because you can't afford a roof over your childrens' heads, though.

I have worked full time since my dd was four months old. I have used childminders and also my helpful mum. DD is 17 now and yesterday she said that she had no early memories of me and her dad. She only has memories of the child minder and her family. I am upset and cant stop thinking about it. Its such a shame! and there is nothing I can do to change it. So although she hasn't suffered by my working its only now that i have the regrets.

Oh, Larold. What an awful thing to hear. My Mum worked full time (30 years ago) and I have tons of memories of her. I'm sure if you get out some old photos, the memories will come flowing back for her.

cherry

Give me one example of someone who is saying it is best for their child. No one is saying that. There is a big difference between saying something is best and good enough. And good enough has been proven to be just fine.

Biddulph and James are just men with opinions who could be argued have written books for some people to buy to feel vindicated in their decisions...

I find it interesting that people choose to prioritise views over well-designed research.

My son is in childcare, I wish he weren't really. I would like, ideally, for dh and I to share care of him and both be able to work. I do not believe my care for my son is in any way superior to the care his father gives him and I certainly don't believe that nursery care is better for him than time with us. However, options are truly limited. I have worked 2.5 days a week this year but I have to increase to 3.5 in September as I've been told there is 6-9 months left in this contract and then my job will reduce to one day a week.
We can't afford to take the risk of loss of income, so I need to increase my hours in the short term to allow us to save some more money for when my job goes. It's not a choice. It's not about luxury or holidays or a fancy home (we live in a 2-bed ex-council house which we have no money to do up and will never sell, and have one small R-reg Ford Fiesta).

I don't say this to justify. I think a lot of the SAHM stuff is nonsense. My grandmother had 5 under 5, then a gap of 3 years, then 3 under 3. She wasn't taking that brood to bloody Gymboree you know! They weren't sitting around baking and talking, enveloped in the loving arms of their all-caring all-responsive mother.

She was actually having the shit kicked out of her by a violent husband who had her regularly wiping her own and her children's blood from the kitchen floor. If she had had an income, she could have walked away. When her youngest went to secondary, she got a job as a childminder and earned some cash and moved out. She always says.. "before he killed me...". It would have been better for her to work when her kids were small, she might have got them a ticket out of hell.

If all women stayed at home, the lot of women would be very much poorer indeed.

Thanks Braw

Photos are a good idea.I will dig them out from the loft.

I must admit I'm upset this morning, although I really didn't have any alternative and have always had to work just to keep a roof over our head s.

I worked days and my dh worked nights so I have to admit that 'family' time has always been limited.

Well said, working.

Larald, what children remember and don't remember about their early life is really hit and miss. Start a thread here and I bet you'll have people who don't really remember much before they were six. But I think Braw's right, if you get some photos or video out it will prompt her memories. Or just talk about what she was like at that age and the things you did together. And frankly, she was far better off having clothes on her back and food in her tummy because you earnt a living than the alternative!

Well said workin9while5
We don't work so we can afford holidays/a nice car/great schooling/a plush home, although we do live in a great city I work in a job I love, which contributes to the wider community and doesn't happen to pay very much, my DP the same. My eldest is almost 14, she can cook and look after herself when we're working. I was her single, working, Mum for the 1st 7 years of her life. She is now desperate for a job and I am proud she knows the value of working and looking after herself. She saves (has more than me!), she keeps her room tidy, she looks after her sister (aged 3 and in ft childcare) so I can soak in the bath as she knows I'm knackered sometimes. I think, as a working Mum, I am a good role model. Some Mondays, I would kill to stay at home and have fun and bake with my girls, though.

Thanks all - glad I looked on here this morning. I'm feeling a bit better now.

Glad you feel a bit better. Being a Mum is a non stop guilt trip sometimes. x

I may have made dd1 sound like too much of a saint She is also a royal pain in the arse!

FWIW a lot of my early memories were of my parents screaming at each other over lack of money and my mother not working.

I have very happy memories of her going back to work when I was five!

FrozenNorthPole Very good points - the press reviews of research rarely connects well with what is written. This piece actually started from the beginning to focus on the working patterns of the parent(s) in the household.

I've only gotten a 2 page preview of it so far - hoping to get more later - if anyone has access to the full piece now, I would greatly appreciate for more details on the study. Did they get into the different working types (working out of home/working from home/employed vs self-employed/full-time vs part-time) and compare the results?

Do you have the reference?

Don't really understand the point of these studies. Different things work for different families. Wouldn't waste time reading it and if my job involved actually carrying out such research I'd be utterly fed up.