Developmental psychologists have discussed the role of a mother in a child’s social and psychological development on various forums. Sigmund Feud and Erikson are some of the great cognitive, behavioral, and developmental psychologists who have studied a child’s behavioral and psychological development and given insightful views (Salkind 67). For example, according to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the environment plays a key role in shaping the behavior and molding the psychological development of a child (Salkind 67). Children will always align their behavior with the social interactions they create along their infancy. For this reason, there exist behavioral difference between children brought up by stay-at-home and those raised by working moms.
Changes in societal views towards women and working ensure that more women are absorbed in the formal working sector today. This comes as result of many years of feminist movements and calls for gender equality (Shaffer and Kipp n.p). It is possible for women to have children and keep their jobs because of policies such as maternity leaves for working women. However, the impact of working mothers on their children cannot be underestimated because they have to leave the duties of caring for the children to caregivers.
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"Differences of Raising Children by Stay-at-Home and Working Moms".
Upon child’s birth, the mother needs to breastfeed continuously and consistently before the weaning period, which is normally after 6 months (Shaffer and Kipp n.p). Working mothers deny their children the privilege of enjoying the nutrient rich breast milk, which weakens their immune and they have to depend on chemical supplements. Secondly, leaving the children with caregivers also affects their behavioral development. The children assume the behavior of their caregivers in place of their mothers’ (Shaffer and Kipp n.p). In some cases, caregivers may be antisocial and abusive, which is likely to affect the psychological and social development of an infant raised by a working mother. This is unlike children raised by stay-at-home mothers who are always there to breastfeed and care for the infants as they grow.
- Salkind, Neil J. An Introduction to Theories of Human Development. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2004. Print..
- Shaffer, David R, and Katherine Kipp. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Belmont, CA, USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014. Print.
