Summary of the article
“The Impact of Working Mothers on Child Development” is an article written by David Pelcovitz. The article expounds on the effects of long-term maternal employment. For instance, it provides a scenario in the United States in which over 75% of the mothers spent their full time away from their children. According to this article, the majority of the employers in the US grant their employees a four-week maternal leave, an act that contributes to infant negligence. Some families also leave a Kollel life, life that involves the full-time engagement of husbands in education and full-time engagement of mothers to their respective works.
In the article, Pelcovitz addresses the result of the research carried out by the National Institute of Child Health and Development in 1991. According to the research carried, it is evident that there is a great relationship between maternal employment and various challenges experienced by children. Various factors contributed to character adjustment in children. For instance, children who were neglected by their parents before attaining the age of three months experienced numerous behavior problems. This was reported by not only their caregivers but also their teachers. Children whose mothers participated in part-time employments were also not exceptional. However, their effects on the development of their children were not comparable to the preceding. Part-time maternal employment impacted with the behaviors of the growing children slightly; the children developed a few disruptive behaviors (Pelcovitz, 1).
According to this article, most mothers that participated in full-time employment showed great concern for their children. For instance, they invested much of their money on their children by providing them with higher-quality substitute childcare to meet the prescribed demands children. Although most mothers who participated in full-time employment showed a high degree of sensitivity to their children, it is evident that they failed to provide ample care to their children because of depression.
Early maternal employment has also some great significance to child development. On most occasions, it rescues most families from economic challenges and family breakdowns. It is also evident that children of working mothers portrayed high levels of intelligence; most of them achieved well in school. Additionally, the involvement of their mothers in employment hampered their behaviors significantly. The majority of them developed low levels of internalizing behaviors. The presence of working mothers enhanced the existence of stress-free families. Mother employment was also associated with negative behaviors in children. Families that consisted of mothers with early full-time employment portrayed high levels of indiscipline; the association contributed significantly towards child behavioral difficulties in society. According to this article, child spoilage does not take place while the child is a toddler. Most children develop uncouth characters when they are still attached to their full time employed mothers. Their unusual characteristics are associated with subsequent difficulties that their mothers experience while at work (Pelcovitz, 1).
The effect of parents’ unemployment is also significant to the growth and development of children. However, its negative impacts on children by-passes those enacted by maternal employment. On most occasions, children who are brought up by full-time employed mothers from their early childhood slightly change their behavior as they grow. Thus, child spoilage is slightly associated with maternal employment.
In his article, Pelcovitz provides pieces of advice that ought to be observed by parents in raising their children. According to him, it is advisable for mothers to consider working part-time during the early stages of their children. Working part-time will enable them to have ample time with their children. Additionally, he also recommends fathers to provide parenting to their children by adjusting their learning timetables. It is also crucial for the grandparents to be recruited to take care of their growing grandchildren. This will enhance the good growth and development of children.
Critique of the article
The article of Pelcovitz is so influential. It provides detailed information on what ought to be done by parents in raising their children. Its emphasis on the effect of mother employment is so crucial. Most parents have the tendency of neglecting their responsibilities in the name of seeking wealth. The gap between parents and children as a result of employment contributes negatively to the development of children. Most children end up developing un-societal characters.
Just as the article expounds it, it is crucial for mothers to reconsider working part-time so as to have more time with their children. Closeness to their children will not only enhance them to learn their weaknesses but also enable them to provide motherly love. Fathers also need to take part in the raising of children. They need to readjust their learning timetables so as to have more parenting time. Their involvement in parenting children will not only enhance the recommendable growth of children but also allow mothers to meet their employment objectives.
However, it is not crucial to divert parenting roles to grandparents. Mothers and fathers opt to find more time for their children. Most children go astray because of associating very much with their grandparents. On most occasions, grandparents fail to punish children when they mess up. Thus, it is crucial for parents to raise their children on their own.
Works Cited
Pelcovitz, David. “The Impact of Working Mothers on Child Development.” Orthodox Union. 2013. Web.