Effects of Dual Working Parents
Effects of Dual Working ParentsSocio-economic conditions in North America have contributed to
the need for dual incomes for families. Economically, "the number of
two parent families below the poverty line would increase to an
estimated 78% if they were to become single income families." (Ontario
Women's Directorate 9) Socially, it was the norm, in the past, for
women to stay at home having a more expressive role in the family;
taking care of the children and providing emotional support for the
family. Presently, women feel that their traditional roles as child
bearers and homemakers must be supplemented with a sense of
achievement outside the home. Recent studies reflect an increased
trend towards the dual income family and projections are for this
trend to continue. In 1961, 30% of married women were working; in
1978, 38% were employed; by 1981 50% were working and in 1985, 55%
held paying positions outside the home. (Jarman and Howlett 95) In
1961, only 20% of all two parent families were dual wage families, but
by 1986, more than half (53%) of all families were dual earning
families. (Ramu 26)
In light of the fact that the majority of two parent families
in the 1990's have also become dual wage earning families, it is
important to examine the effects of such a phenomenon on society in
general and on child rearing in particular. Children acquire their
goals, values and norms based on the way that they view or identify
with their parents as well as from the quality and amount of care,
love and guidance given to them by their parents. Parents who work
present a different image to their children than parents who do not
work. In addition, wage earners, including parents, must (in most
cases), be absent from the home during the day. When considering
these modifications to the family dynamics, there is considerable
basis for proof that the positive effects outweigh the negative
effects experienced by offspring in families were both parents are
employed.
The working parent occupies an important exemplary role within
the family. Working parents often command considerable respect from
their children, because they demonstrate the worthy characteristics of
industriousness, social compatibility, self reliance, maturity,
intelligence and responsibility. Because children identify with their
parents, the feedback from such positive influences tends to be
positive as well because many of these positive characteristics are
imparted upon them. A child who observes the competent coping
abilities of a working parent learns in turn, how to cope with life's
problems. At first this may translate into an improved sense of
self-reliance and independence for the child as well as an improvement
in the ability to be socially compatible. As the child grows, it can
further render a child more emotionally mature and hence more
competent...
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