Should I go to work after maternity leave? This is one of the issues that many expectant mothers face. There is no simple answer to this question. After all, work takes a lot of time, which could be used to communicate with the child.
There are different life situations, and sometimes a woman does not have to choose whether to go or not to go to work. For example, if this is not necessary, and the woman feels comfortable as a housewife, then it is completely possible to devote herself to children and creating home comfort. But if a financial situation or ambition forces a young mother to abandon the role of a housewife and go to work? How will this affect a child? On his future?
What is the opinion of scientists on this subject
If you are a future mother and have already managed to ask yourself all these questions, then you can safely stop worrying.
Harvard researchers studied how happy the children of working mothers are compared to the children of housewives. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the mother’s exit to work does not affect the child’s happiness in the future.
People still believe that when mothers work, it can somehow harm their children. Therefore, our conclusion that maternal employment does not affect the happiness of children in adulthood is really important
said Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn, who led the pioneering study.
These recent findings are part of a larger study by McGinn on how mother work affects children. McGinn and her research team compared two international surveys over 10 years. 100 thousand men and women from 29 countries participated in this survey. They answered questions related to the influence of the fact of the mother’s work on their future.
How does the fact that mom works affect the future of daughters?
In 2015, the professor released the first wave of results, which showed that the daughters of working mothers, becoming adults, earned an average of $ 1880 a year more than the daughters of housewives. Observing from childhood an example of a working mother, girls, regardless of the social status of the family, are more likely to find a job. They often occupy senior positions, have a more prestigious job and a higher level of education. And when the daughters of working women themselves become mothers, it is easier for them to combine work and parenting.
The influence of the mother’s labor activity on sons
A working mother has a positive effect on her sons. Having matured, they, as a rule, have more equal gender views and marry partners who also work. Becoming fathers, such men will pay more attention to children and family, to help his wife in household matters.
During the interviews, daughters and sons were asked about their overall satisfaction with life. Whether their mothers stayed at home or worked did not make much difference. Everyone was equally happy. Nevertheless, women still feel guilty about going to work. And we hope that these latest discoveries will help ease this guilt.