In our world of busy schedules, work-life balance and extracurricular activities, a new study can be a comfort for busy mothers everywhere.
The study published in April by the Journal of Marriage and Family claims that the amount of time mothers spend with their kids, between the ages of 3 and 11, has little relationship to how successful those kids become later in life.
In fact, the mother’s education level and family income are more of a predictor for future success says lead researchers Melissa Milkie (University of Toronto), Kei Nomaguchi (Bowling Green) and Kathleen Denny (University of Maryland).
The study also found that in comparison to the 1970s, mothers spend more time engaging with their kids despite the fact that more of them are in the workforce.
The amount of stress that parents display in front of their kids—in terms of guilt and anxiety—can also have a negative impact on kids.
Whether it is societal or self-inflicted, it almost seems normal now for mothers to feel anxious and guilty about the ways they choose to raise their kids. The authors of the study suggests parents stop feeling guilty about the time they can’t spend with their kids and focus more on quality time like family dinners.
How do you spend quality time with your kids?
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