Be a guilt-free working mom

Mothers of young children probably feel the struggle of balancing their work and home responsibilities the most intensely. There is reassuring news for working mothers. Findings in a study reveal that employed mothers actually spend more time with their children doing shared time activities each week than at-home mothers. Also, husbands of employed moms spend more leisure time with their children than the husbands of unemployed wives.

What is shared time? It is time spent together in the same activity such as sharing chores, meals, or recreational activities. Bathing, feeding, and dressing a child are considered direct child care activities. At-home moms spend more child care time with their children but researchers note that time spent on shared activities can be important time that helps offset this loss.

What time have you shared with your child lately?

"Here's Reassuring Data for Working Parents," Work and Family Life, January 1995, p. 2.

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