A new study suggests that children of mothers who work part-time are healthier than those of their full-time or stay-at-home counterparts. The study of 4,500 Australian pre-schoolers found those whose mothers worked some of the week were less likely to eat junk food, watch TV and become overweight.

The authors suggested that mothers who worked part-time went to considerable lengths to spend quality time with their children.

Controversies
Working mothers who work more than 34 hours a week, struggle to find the time for family cooking and activities. The reasons why mothers who do not work have children with less healthy habits are not fully understood, the study says.

The findings are the latest in the steady flow of contradictory information on the effects on child wellbeing of the increase in working mothers in recent decades.

Nurseries have been accused of fostering anti-social behaviour and increasing stress levels in toddlers, but have also been found to improve educational outcomes and even to lower the risk of a child developing leukaemia because their immune system is stimulated through early contact with others.

Meanwhile, grandparents, an increasingly attractive child care choice for many parents, as they tend to be both reliable and free, are said to increase the chances of a child being overweight — although only in the wealthiest socio-economic groups.

However, all parents should derive comfort in the fact that these studies really demonstrate is that there is no one-size-fits-all policy.

Everybody needs to think carefully about what is right for them and their children, and be prepared to change if it is not working out, the researchers said.

What about fathers?
“It is also a shame these studies always forget the father — if there isn’t a healthy meal on the table, why is that always the fault of the working mum?” says Dr Martina Klett-Davies of the Family and Parenting Institute.

“But we also need to be wary of turning parenting into a science. We like the idea that we can provide definitive proof of what is best for children, but a lot of the time, all it does is make parents feel even more insecure about the choices they make,” Klett-Davies said.
BBC