How do working parents affect child development?

One of the most important factors in normal social and emotional development, however, is the ability of a child to bond with her parents, starting from the moment she leaves the womb. Parental bonding helps a child feel safe, secure, nurtured and loved. read more

Parents should keep this in mind when considering the quality of the time they spend with their children, because if they do not invest enough of their time and commitment into pouring emotionally into their child, the child will struggle to learn how to regulate his emotions and interact with others appropriately. read more

Data from a child care study, "First-Year Maternal Employment and Child Development in the First 7 Years," sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, found that "the overall effect of first-year maternal employment on child development is neutral" and has indirect positive effects, including higher income that allowed parents to seek higher quality child care and have greater maternal sensitivity. read more