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In the United States today, more than half of mothers with young children work, compared to 30 percent in the 1970s. Working mothers are the rule rather than the exception. Women have been moving into the workforce not only for career satisfaction but because they and their families need the income. More than one-fourth of all children live in single-parent homes, with their mothers providing most of their support. About 80 percent of married working women have husbands who earn less than $30,000 a year. For the children in many of these families, the alternative to a working mother is poverty.

In some families, mothers continue to work because they have careers that they have spent years developing. Most employers in this country are not sympathetic to working mothers who wish to take time off to be with their young children. If these women stop working, even for a year or two, they may give up some of the advantages they have earned or risk losing certain career opportunities.

Effects of Working Mothers

Some people still think that a "good mother" is one who gives up work to stay home with her children. However, there is no scientific evidence that says children are harmed when their mothers work. A child's development is more influenced by the amount of stress in the family, how the family feels about the mother's working and the quality of child care. A child who is emotionally well adjusted, well loved, and well cared for will thrive regardless of whether the mother works outside the home.

A mother who successfully manages both an outside job and parenthood is an excellent role model for her child. Children of working mothers often grow to be independent, responsible and achievement-oriented adults. In most families with working mothers, each person plays a more active role in the household. The children tend to look after one another and help in other ways. The father helps with household chores and child rearing, as well as breadwinning. This brings him much closer to the children and often makes him more emotionally supportive of his wife's efforts than he otherwise might be. These positive outcomes are most likely when the parent feels valued and supported by family, friends and co-workers.

Working Mothers and Family Relationships

Family relationships may suffer if both parents want to work but only one has a job. Problems also can occur if there is competition or resentment because one parent is earning more money than the other. Such conflicts can strain the marriage, and may make the children feel threatened and insecure. With both parents working, the need for mutual support and communication is even more important.

Problems can arise if a woman does not want to work or if her husband does not want her to work. If a woman works because she needs the money, she may have to take a job that she does not like. In that case, she needs to be careful not to bring her frustration and unhappiness home, where it will spill over into family relationships. The message the children may receive in this situation is that work is unpleasant and damages, instead of builds, self-esteem.

Even when there are no problems; however, a two-career family has to deal with issues that do not come up in other families. Parents may feel so divided between family and career that they have little time for a social life or each other. Both parents should share household and child-care responsibilities so that one will not end up doing most of the work and feeling resentful. Parents will lose nine to 12 work days per year due to the need to tend to a sick child, to care for their child when child-care arrangements have broken down or to take their child to necessary appointments.