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Are Kids of Working Parents Less Healthy?
Reported October 06, 2009
Many working parents already feel plenty of stress and guilt as is. Now
there’s a new British study which found that children of working mothers are
less likely to eat as healthily or exercise as much as kids of stay-at-home
moms.
The UK Millennium Cohort Study looked at the dietary habits and physical
activity of more than 12,500 children from ages 9 months to 5. The
researchers found that, regardless of ethnicity, maternal education or job
level, children whose mothers worked part or full time were less likely to
eat fruits or vegetables, and were more likely to drink soda and snack on
chips. Moreover, they were more likely to sit in front of the TV or computer
for longer periods of times than children of stay-at-home moms.
Still, the research showed that many of the kids, regardless of whether
their parents worked, had unhealthy habits to begin with: 37% snacked on
potato chips, 41% drank sugary drinks between meals, and 61% watched
television or used the computer for at least two hours a day.
“Time constraints may limit parents’ capacity to provide their children with
healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity,” said the study,
published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The research
did not say, however, what sort of child-care arrangements the children of
working mothers had, such as whether they were at daycare, or being looked
after by a nanny or relative. It also didn’t measure the effects of fathers
who did or didn’t work.
The researchers stressed that they were not implying that mothers shouldn’t
work, but were underlining the need for better policies and programs to
support working families, such as better training for caregivers on fitness
and nutrition.
Still, the research only adds to the list of worries that many working
parents face. According to a new Pew Research Center study, working moms
give themselves worse marks as parents than stay-at-home moms. The survey of
nearly 2,000 adults found that 43% of stay-at-home moms rated themselves a 9
or 10 as parents, compared to only 33% of working mothers.
We’ve discussed how tough it can be during the busy morning and evening
scrambles to prepare wholesome meals for the kids—and make sure they
actually eat them when you’re not there to supervise. (No working parent I
know, for instance, would ever have time to prepare these adorable, yet
healthy, Bento boxes.) Some healthy lunchbox ideas for working parents can
be found here and here.
So if you are a working parent, what steps are you taking to ensure your
kids get proper nutrition and exercise during the day? And given the Pew
research, how would you rate your parenting, from 0-10 (10 being the
highest)?
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