The Positive and Negative Influence of Children on Their Mothers' Experiences in Developmental Education

• In Event: 14.035 - Marginalized Women and Their Quests for Better Lives: Themes of Disequilibrium, Learning, and Adaptation

Abstract

“My husband and parents think I’m crazy for going to college with two small kids so I don’t have anybody to complain to when I’m upset. They just look at me like it’s my own fault. Forget about doing anything extra at college, just go to class, come home, and take care of the kids and my husband. It’s frustrating to feel like I’m all alone here. But, I love my family so I just try to hang on.”

Women who decide to return to college after having children are susceptible to higher dropout rates, or, at the very least, to periods of time when they have to withdraw to deal with competing demands. Research often shows that women who have additional roles outside the educational arena often have to put their education on hold as they deal with family demands, which causes non-traditional female students to experience slower progression towards graduation (Vaccaro & Lovell, 2010; Johnson, Schwartz, & Bower, 2000; Grimes, 1997). Women with family responsibilities are the fastest growing group of college students, but these responsibilities can lead to issues of overload and higher dropout rates (Home, 1998; Vaccaro et all, 2010). Lack of support from family members can make attending classes difficult or even impossible, especially if these members begin to feel as though college attendance interferes with a woman’s continued participation in the family structure (McGivney, 2004; Laubach, 1993). Women dealing with these strained family relations may have to make the choice between continuing their education and accepting the disintegration of their families (Malicky & Norman, 1996; Bradshaw, Hager, Knott, & Seamy, 2006).

Current literature is divided on the impact that children in the home have on women’s pursuit of higher education. Choosing to become a part of two such greedy institutions may mean that these women have to learn to strategically navigate their way in both of these worlds while not compromising their commitment to either institution.
Purpose. This study represents an attempt to understand how children who live in the home either help or hinder a woman’s higher educational journey.

Method. During my investigation, I conducted interviews with 22 female students enrolled in developmental courses at a four-year college. The students ranged in age from 18–39 and all of the participants were responsible for a child or children living in their homes. Data were collected using a two-step process (focus groups followed by one-on-one interviews).

Findings. The analysis yielded themes related to the influence children have on their mothers’ education; space precludes explication of the themes in this proposal, but they are listed in the table below.
Positive Themes
1: Women encouraged to continue education to make children proud.
2: Women want children to have a better life financially.
3: Women see children doing better in their own schooling.
Negative Themes
4: School has a negative impact on the mother and child relationship.
5: Mothers must constantly make tough choices between competing demands.
6: Women face strains on emotional and financial resources.

Author

• Jamie L Caudill, Georgia Gwinnett College