Mothers’ Work Schedules and Child Behavior in Contemporary Families

• In Event: Parental Work Schedules and the Well-Being of Children and Families

Abstract

Large increases in maternal employment coupled with strong growth in the service sector, rise in the “24/7” economy, and increase in precarious jobs during the latter half of the 20th century have raised concerns about the potential negative effects of mothers’ nonstandard work schedules on child well-being. Prior studies consistently find that mothers’ nonstandard work schedules are associated with worse child behavioral outcomes (e.g., Dunifon, Kalil, Crosby, & Su, 2013; Han, 2008; Han, Miller, & Waldfogel, 2010; Joshi & Bogen, 2007). However, this prior research relies on studies of children born in the 1980s and 1990s and often uses non-nationally representative studies that over- or under-represent low-income families. Significant changes to the labor market and child care landscape since then—including increases in work hour volatility and schedule unpredictability and substantial public investments in child care and early education—raise questions about whether findings from prior research hold in today’s context. Moreover, more socioeconomically disadvantaged families have been disproportionately impacted by increases in precarious jobs, suggesting the need to look at moderation by family characteristics. The purpose of this study is to estimate associations between mothers’ work schedules and children’s behavior in a nationally-representative, contemporary study of children, and to examine child and family characteristics as moderators of these associations.

We use data from the 2014 Panel Study of Income Dynamics—Child Development Supplement (PSID-CDS-2014), which collected in-depth information on a subset of PSID children. The analytic sample includes 2138 3-17-year-old children whose biological or adoptive mother participated in the PSID-CDS-2014 and was employed at the time of the interview. Externalizing and internalizing behavior problems were measured with the Behavior Problems Index (0.84 and 0.86, respectively). Mothers self-reported their usual work hours and schedule: 21% regularly worked a nonstandard schedule (i.e., evening, night, rotating, split, or irregular schedule). We regress mothers’ work schedules and hours on child behavior outcomes, adjusting for a rich set of child (e.g., gender, race), maternal (e.g., education, age) and family characteristics (e.g., income). To test moderators, we add interaction terms with child age, family income, whether mother has a live-in partner, and whether mother has a college degree. Additionally, we will conduct several sensitivity analyses to test for selection bias, including propensity score weighting.

Results show that mothers’ nonstandard work schedules were associated with 0.28 standard deviations higher child internalizing behavior problems (p<.10; see Table 1 Panel A). These associations were concentrated among 6-11 year-olds and children of college-educated mothers (see Figure 1). Interactions with family income suggest these associations were also concentrated among higher-income families in the top third of the income distribution. Moreover, when examining specific types of nonstandard schedules, these associations appear to be driven by mothers’ irregular schedules (see Table 1 Panel B).

Findings are consistent with prior research showing that nonstandard work schedules are associated with more child behavior problems, but suggest these effects are concentrated in middle-childhood and more socioeconomically-advantaged families. Findings also support recent research suggesting that irregular schedules—rather than regular non-daytime schedules—are most problematic.

Authors

• Alejandra Ros Pilarz, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Presenting Author

• Leah Awkward-Rich, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author