Comments on: Rich moms, poor moms

By: Ragnarok

Ragnarok — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:58:31 +0000

Margo,

Please stay down for the count.

By: greifer

greifer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:58:30 +0000

This was a well written article, and if the authors did their analysis as they claimed they did, then their data is impressive.

This isn’t just a minor correlation, nor is it a correlation due to something as grossly defined as IQ. The authors controlled for a very large number of variables, including effects that were nonlinear. Their pattern holds up–even at LOW numbers of hours by the high-SES working mothers. It’s not simply the case that the 80 hour a week home had the drawbacks; a statistically significant but smaller effect was seen for smaller numbers of hours.

And based on the related papers they point to, it seems that most of the other papers have done far less work at considering a wider model or more variables, so when they’ve disagreed with these results, it’s because their model didn’t control for as many other aspects of the data.

I wouldn’t dismiss it so casually, nor argue it’s “obvious” what the paper says is true. Read the paper.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:14:49 +0000

Selfish, unselfish, or otherwise… there is a bigger issue here about making blanket statements.

These comments are judgmental at best and betray feelings of inadequacy and bias.

Regarding the study….

I believe it is about children seeing and appreciating parents motivations. Mom works because she has to in order to feed, cloth, and educate you, you see her pain and appreciate it more, and even do your share by doing a good job.

Mom works because she wants to and gives you a ton of money and goodies out of guilt, you don’t appreciate it and are more likely to slack off.

Still there are those on both sides who do not fit this model.

By: Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:18:26 +0000

That should read $460 not $560…

By: Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:16:23 +0000

Here’s another example of the type of selfishness I’m talking about that I came across this morning. On the email list for the mothers’ club in my town, there came a message from a woman I know who has 2 pre-school aged kids (2ish and 4ish). She’s a full-time corporate attorney married to another corporate attorney. In this message, she announced that she’s organizing a *WEEKEND* trip to a spa a couple of hours away at the bargain price of $230 per day (cost of treatments not included)! So after being away from her young kids all week, she’s going to spend big bucks to go off to some spa for the entire weekend?

I can certainly understand the need for a “girls’ night out” every now and then, but two full days’ worth at a cost of $560 plus whatever is spent on beauty treatments????

Why even bother having kids at all if you’re not willing to put their needs ahead of your own selfish desires?

By: Parent2

Parent2 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:07:27 +0000

http://www.uncg.edu/bae/people/ruhm/

On this page, you can find a link to the working paper.

I know both working and at-home parents who arrange their days so as to spend little to no time with their children. Neither group has a monopoly on virtue.

When both parents work full-time as executives, and both parents frequently travel, then, perforce the nanny is raising the kids. Or nannies.

By: Margo/Mom

Margo/Mom — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:08:45 +0000

“I can also attest that I have known two-working-parent households where the parents only need to work to support their high-consumption lifestyle.”

And they have told you that this is their (or rather her–since that was the original charge) only motivation for working?

By: Dawn

Dawn — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:46:21 +0000

“instead of drawing conclusions based on a tiny article by newsweek about a study where no one reported on what they controlled for, has anyone, say, read the study? or have an ungated abstract at least?”

Ditto. This is a lot of fuss and a lot of crazy conclusions over a bit of correlation.

By: SuperSub

SuperSub — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:05:15 +0000

Margo-
You either need to improve your reading comprehension or pay more attention to what’s written in these comments. Crimson said “Moms who are working for selfish reasons…”, and that pretty much specifies mothers who work for selfish reasons. This statement does not apply to working mothers in general, nor does it assume that working mothers are selfish.
As for the need for Crimson to “clarify” the reasons that women in her social circle work for, one would normally assume that since they do socialize she would know enough about them to make that assumption. I can also attest that I have known two-working-parent households where the parents only need to work to support their high-consumption lifestyle.

By: greifer

greifer — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:18:46 +0000

instead of drawing conclusions based on a tiny article by newsweek about a study where no one reported on what they controlled for, has anyone, say, read the study? or have an ungated abstract at least?