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Learning Objective 1: at the end of the presentation learners will be able to: 1. Discuss the importance of early childhood developemt.
Learning Objective 2: 2. discuss the factors which affect the toddlers cognitive developmet.
Introduction
From the past several decades an increasing number of women with young children are joining the workforce, which is one of the largest social changes in the last half of the 20th century. Nowadays, more children are being raised in households where mothers work for pay as compared to children a generation ago, when most mothers did not engage in marketplace work. This change in the young children rearing approach has prompted concerns for the parents as to, whether maternal employment poses any risks to healthy child cognitive development, since the first five years of life are considered crucial for brain development as well as for children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development.
Methodology
The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the mental development of toddlers’, aged 24-36 months, of working and non-working mothers, in Karachi, Pakistan. To measure the mental development of toddlers, the Bayley mental scale was used which has been extensively used worldwide to assess the development of infants from age one to 42 months of age. Data was analyzed using the chi-square statistics.
Results
The overall analysis of the pilot study suggests that there is no association of maternal employment and non-employment status with the toddlers’ cognitive development. But the study found some differences by demographic characteristics in the subgroups, which suggests that some children are more vulnerable, irrespective of whether their mothers are working or not. Those children particularly suffer significant negative effects, which are associated with other risk factors, when their mothers work, like poverty, poor quality child care, living in an extended family system, less sensitive parental care because of parent’s minimal education level etc.
Conclusion
The study results have some important policy implications which include development of high quality child care facilities especially for poor. There is a need for policies that would focus mainly on maternity leaves, women’s working hours and monitor their working condition. Family friendly policies should be developed at work places that make it easier for mothers to combine work and family responsibilities.