Mothers' employment, parental involvement, and the implications for intermediate child outcomes

Data from me National Survey of Families and Households are used to investigate how married mothers' work patterns affect the frequency of potentially human capital enriching parent-child activities and. in turn, if these parent-child activities and work patterns are related to children's subsequent behavior and academic achievements. The analyses suggest that both parents in employed-mother households engage in reading/homework activities with their children more frequently than do parents in households where the mother is not employed. Increases in the frequency of reading/homework activities and playing/project activities are found to be related to fewer behavioral problems and higher grades. At the same time, the direct effect of a mother's employment during the preschool years generally has no effect on intermediate child outcomes. (C) 2001 Academic Press.