The American economy has not quite recovered from the recession and families across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Therefore long hours of work are inevitable for both parents of the house. Thus, leaving children without proper care and attention that they require, especially in the early and teen years.
In 2016, there are more mothers than ever are in the workforce. According to research, “women now make up half of all workers in the United States, with nearly 4 in 10 homes having a mom that is also a working mother.”
Among the parents, mothers always played a central role in child care and development because of their sensitivity and God gifted nature to love and pamper their family more than their male spouses. It’s not a piece of cake to strike a balance between work and home. There are pros and cons to every option. If both the parents are employed full-time or part-time, you may have a better standard of living and have fewer economic problems. You may also feel delighted that you’re making an impact. On the contrary, you may also feel that you are missing out on family life. You’re not there for your kids or your partner.
Some of the frequent changes in behavior of the child are as follows:
1. Child behavior such as alcohol use, violence, and anti-social behavior increases as parents involvement decreases.
2. Children are more likely to fall behind in academic performance as their parents do not participate in school events, develop a link with their child’s educators, or keep up with what is happening in their child’s school life.
3. Students whose parents remain involved in their children’s academic life are more likely to go to university and have successful careers. Students whose parents are not involved, on the other hand, are more apt to quit school – forget about the university.
4. Students achieve more when their parents are by their side, regardless of parents’ education level or socio-economic status.
5. It has been seen that students perform better, achieve higher grades, better attendance, and complete homework consistently when their parents are involved in their child’s education.
6. It has also been noted that a more positive attitude is exhibited by the student when parents are involved, have increased enthusiasm and better self-esteem.
One more thing affecting the children of the parents who are not efficiently balancing the work/home life is that the parents lose their standing in front of their children. Their children tend to listen to their high school friends instead of their parents. Therefore, ending up being a misfit/rebel for the society.
This is where High School Counselors comes in. Traditionally the high school counselors use to deal with students looking to take admission in universities. However, their role has become far diverse. The misfits, rebels or poor performance students are now targeted by counselors with a sole purpose to build that very important relationship of trust. Once that has been achieved, the counseling sessions start for the overall betterment of the student. Parents that are busy in their hectic work routine to meet costs at home should at least take-out time once a month and visit the counselor of the school that their children are going to. Discussing problems and more importantly knowing about their child is paramount in its development.