Making time for kids? Study says quality trumps quantity

[Anonymous]

Sorry if this has already been posted. I was familiar with some of this research for my job, but here's further support for this premise. From today's Post article:

"In fact, it appears the sheer amount of time parents spend with their kids between the ages of 3 and 11 has virtually no relationship to how children turn out, and a minimal effect on adolescents, according to the first large-scale longitudinal study of parent time to be published in April in the Journal of Marriage and Family."

http://wapo.st/1ynQFB9

[Anonymous]

OP again. One caveat to the overall message of this article, which seems go against conventional wisdom that maternal involvement is more important during the early years:

"The one key instance Milkie and her co-authors found where the quantity of time parents spend does indeed matter is during adolescence: The more time a teen spends engaged with their mother, the fewer instances of delinquent behavior. And the more time teens spend with both their parents together in family time, such as during meals, the less likely they are to abuse drugs and alcohol and engage in other risky or illegal behavior. They also achieve higher math scores."

[Anonymous]

feel better?

[Anonymous]

Your premise seems to be that parents calculate that someone staying how will lead to better outcomes for their children. I think most people are calculating the cost of daycare and impact on lifestyle.

You also seem to have the premise that there's some "conventional wisdom" about "maternal" involvement. That would be flat-out wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. One caveat to the overall message of this article, which seems go against conventional wisdom that maternal involvement is more important during the early years:

"The one key instance Milkie and her co-authors found where the quantity of time parents spend does indeed matter is during adolescence: The more time a teen spends engaged with their mother, the fewer instances of delinquent behavior. And the more time teens spend with both their parents together in family time, such as during meals, the less likely they are to abuse drugs and alcohol and engage in other risky or illegal behavior. They also achieve higher math scores."

The study has nothing to do with"early years". It's from ages 3-18.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it says income and mothers educational level are the most important factors in their longitudinal study, that trumps both quality and quantity

It's embedded in the article, since it's not as interesting as your take-home message

Thanks for sharing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:feel better?

Not OP, but I kind of do! Not that it changes anything -- nobody would be happy with me as a SAHM, believe me.

[Anonymous]

Oh, God. Brigid wrote this.

She's trolling another DCUM thread looking for parents who will admit to smoking pot now that it's tolerated in DC.

She's like the queen of straw-man premises despite the fact that erecting a straw man is a journalist sin.

Has the Post put her on the family/parenting beat? That sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:feel better?

Not OP, but I kind of do! Not that it changes anything -- nobody would be happy with me as a SAHM, believe me.

If you actually read the article, you will find the headline misleading. It only studied children ages 3 + (no word on 8 week olds in 10 hour daycares which is what many people are uncomfortable with) and that the most confounding factor that trump quantity and quality are SES and education level.
So not really breaking news that your preschool age child is fine in an expensive daycare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. One caveat to the overall message of this article, which seems go against conventional wisdom that maternal involvement is more important during the early years:

"The one key instance Milkie and her co-authors found where the quantity of time parents spend does indeed matter is during adolescence: The more time a teen spends engaged with their mother, the fewer instances of delinquent behavior. And the more time teens spend with both their parents together in family time, such as during meals, the less likely they are to abuse drugs and alcohol and engage in other risky or illegal behavior. They also achieve higher math scores."

Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:feel better?

Seriously. Looks like just another study designed to make parents feel justified in leaving their kids with others for large amounts of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:feel better?

This was my thought as well...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, it says income and mothers educational level are the most important factors in their longitudinal study, that trumps both quality and quantity

It's embedded in the article, since it's not as interesting as your take-home message

Thanks for sharing

And it's precisely that outcome from such studies that should make everyone say "No duh!"

[Anonymous]

And the story provides no link for erudite readers of The Post to go read the findings themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, it says income and mothers educational level are the most important factors in their longitudinal study, that trumps both quality and quantity

It's embedded in the article, since it's not as interesting as your take-home message

Thanks for sharing

So if we are well off and I have a PhD, I can mail it in? Yes!!