Children of Working Moms Do Just Fine

Working moms need not worry. New research confirms that quality is as important as quantity when it comes to spending time with an infant or toddler. After examining two 24-hour time periods that included one workday and one nonworking day for the moms with outside jobs, the researchers found that stay-at-home moms spent only about an hour and a half more with their young child than working moms. More important to a child's development, explained researchers, were the qualities that the mother exhibited. For example, was she sensitive to the child's need and did she engage in stimulating and interesting activities with her child? The findings, which will be published in an upcoming issue of "Child Development," conclude that a mom's employment status has little or no impact on her child's social and intellectual development.