Parental work and early adolescence: issues for research and practice

Research that has examined the relationship between parental employment and early adolescent adjustment has tended to yield mixed or no associations. This is true for studies that have examined academic, emotional, social, or cognitive well-being in this age group. Some gender differences have emerged but are not well understood at this time. There appear to be several reasons for the lack of significant findings. The first lies in the adaptation that mothers, children, and families as a whole have been making to increases in maternal employment. The second lies in the relatively simple research designs that have not adequately explored more complex hypotheses. The article concludes with suggestions for additional research as well as implications for policies and practices related to parental employment and early adolescence.