Do Working Moms Put Their Kids at a Disadvantage?

This is a difficult argument to have.....

Juno makes a valid point when she says this topic is too vague and also too specific to argue.

When looking at a young child, specifically a child before school-age (around 3 or 4), yes, I do think a working mother could potentially put their child at a disadvantage, especially a mother who works a full work day. I was fortunate enough to have a stay-at-home mom when I was young. I was read to at every meal and practiced the alphabet, my phone number, how to spell my name, and my address many times a day. I do think that this put me ahead when I was younger, since I was more advanced when I entered preschool. It also allowed me to establish a healthy bond with my mother. I do think that there are certainly ways for a mother to be involved in their child's life and be career women, but a stay-at-home mom would certainly have more time to devote to their child. It would depend on the mother's schedule and flexibility of their working hours.

Since my mom does not work, before I could drive myself, I was guaranteed a ride after school or any time of day for that matter which allowed me to take part in a number of non-school related extracurriculars that some children may have had to miss out on due to lack of transportation. Again, a working mother could certainly pull off playing chauffeur if their hours were flexible, but if both parents work until, say, 5, alternate transportation would have to be arranged, which would not be possible for all people. I would not have had 5 days a week of dance classes if my mom worked.

Certainly, when a child is older, it would be a positive thing for a child to see their mother working AND being a mother. However the assertion that "working moms make happy moms" is certainly a hasty generalization. This could be true if a mother is working for pleasure, however if a mother is working because the family needs two incomes, there would be a significant stress factor. Not all working moms work because they didn't want to give up their career to have children. Some, I'm sure would love to stay home with their children.