In The News
© Julie Renaud
Recent news items of interest to working parents.
Split Shift Option
"Tag Team," by Laura Pappano in the August 2001 issue of Working Mother Magazine, gives a thorough look at parents who work and parent on opposite shifts. With one parent always home child care costs are reduced and parents spend more time with their children. But the arrangement can be tough on marriage and family life. The number of families living this lifestyle (some by choice, some not) is growing. According to the article, one-third of dual-earner couples in the US, that's an estimated 9.7 million, are working opposite schedules. If this is an option you want to consider or are already living, this article is worth a look.
Items of interest at the Working Mother web site: The 8th National Child Care Survey and The 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
More Time Spent With Children
The University of Michigan recently released research showing that children spend more time with their parents than they did 20 years ago. Despite the rise in two-income families, the data shows that in 1997 children spent 31 hours a week with mom and 23 hours a week with dad, compared to 1981 figures of 25 hours a week with mom and 19 hours a week with dad. Interestingly, the number of hours increased in homes where both parents worked and where mom stayed home. See the official University of Michigan News Release for detailed information.
Child Care & Aggression
You may have heard about a recent study that suggests that children in child care are more aggressive and disobedient when they reach kindergarten than children who are cared for by a parent. The Early Childcare Report was released by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Childcare Research Network. Before you panic and quit your job, you should read more than just sensationalized tidbits that were reported. The statistic that made the headlines was 17% of children in care, for more than 30 hours a week, had higher levels of aggression than children who spent less time in child care. That means 83% did not show higher levels of aggression. The LA Weekly has a good article on the way that the press played up misleading information.
Split Shift Option
"Tag Team," by Laura Pappano in the August 2001 issue of Working Mother Magazine, gives a thorough look at parents who work and parent on opposite shifts. With one parent always home child care costs are reduced and parents spend more time with their children. But the arrangement can be tough on marriage and family life. The number of families living this lifestyle (some by choice, some not) is growing. According to the article, one-third of dual-earner couples in the US, that's an estimated 9.7 million, are working opposite schedules. If this is an option you want to consider or are already living, this article is worth a look.
Items of interest at the Working Mother web site: The 8th National Child Care Survey and The 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
More Time Spent With Children
The University of Michigan recently released research showing that children spend more time with their parents than they did 20 years ago. Despite the rise in two-income families, the data shows that in 1997 children spent 31 hours a week with mom and 23 hours a week with dad, compared to 1981 figures of 25 hours a week with mom and 19 hours a week with dad. Interestingly, the number of hours increased in homes where both parents worked and where mom stayed home. See the official University of Michigan News Release for detailed information.
Child Care & Aggression
You may have heard about a recent study that suggests that children in child care are more aggressive and disobedient when they reach kindergarten than children who are cared for by a parent. The Early Childcare Report was released by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Childcare Research Network. Before you panic and quit your job, you should read more than just sensationalized tidbits that were reported. The statistic that made the headlines was 17% of children in care, for more than 30 hours a week, had higher levels of aggression than children who spent less time in child care. That means 83% did not show higher levels of aggression. The LA Weekly has a good article on the way that the press played up misleading information.
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