Families of Parents Who Both Work - Essay Example

Working parents Tutor: College: Course: Date Working parents From a number of researches that were carried out it was determined that there were major changes that were seen in families where both parents were working and in those families where either one of the parents was working or none was working. The main areas which were greatly affected were the nature of bringing up the children especially in their young ages. The economic power of the family also tended to differ greatly across the families. This was also affecting the lifestyle of the family in the nature of luxuries and the way they led their lives. It was also possible to affect the nature in which they were able to engage in their sexual lives. Children brought up by their parents were found to have a totally different behavior from those who were under the care of the nannies. It is therefore evident that whether the parents are both working or not really affects the way in which a family leads its life. This essay will focus on the effects of both parents working on their lifestyle, sexual life, and financial situation as well as on their children. When both parents are working it is possible to realize great finances and more savings in the family. This is especially possible if both parents are very co operative when it comes to making decisions concerning their family income. The two parents will make a priority list following the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and then relate this to their total income. Their next step will involve the development of a budget where they will also save for the rainy days as well as keep some money aside for the future developments (Debi 2007). It is also evident that two income earning families will always enjoy a better and more satisfying financial footing and hence less stress in their marriage life. Another advantage that is brought about by having both parents working will be the great and satisfying lifestyle that the family will experience. If there is more money in the family, the children will also enjoy the good life since most of the luxuries that are in the market, will be made available by the parents. In case they are still young and they still need to be taken care of then the parents will employ nannies with the best experience in taking care of the children (Roy 1985). As they continue to develop, in their early education days the parents will avail the best quality of private education to the children in the best institutions where only the quality education is available. In case of sickness the families are also in a position to afford better health care services even at higher costs. In these families the parents are able to have a clear plan on how they will save for the tertiary education of the children and this enables them to make their life better and enable them to be equipped with necessary skills to venture in the employment market. For recreation and entertainment purpose the family is able to enjoy more night’s outs and eat out more often just to change the atmosphere of the home. During the school holidays and during the festive season, the family arranges to visit the best vacation sites and spend their entire time there as a family which was something they would not have been able to afford if they were not both working. On the other hand, for children whose parents work then for the longer part of the day the children have to spend most of the hours with other individuals. Since there is limited access to parents, the children are forced to adapt and to respect the adults and other individuals or authority figures who supervise them. This serves as an advantage since the children are able to foster socialization. In their young days the children have to be taken in the daycares where they are able to relate with other children who act as their peers (Christine 2003). “As they grow together, their social skills are also improved as they are taught how to share their own belongings and they are also taught how to take turns when it comes to using the few available resources in the centre”. As the children carry out their daily plays especially with their toys they also learn how to work as a team which is a character they carry all through to their older life. Being in the daycare and as they grow the children’s relationship with their parents I also affected depending on how they relate with other people out there. They are able to learn that in the workplace either gender can fit in well and perform just a well. They show them the sense of dedication and motivation that they should copy in the future. When looking at the life of the parents who are both in the working sector, they are also at an advantage since they are also able to develop the way they relate with each other. When they are in their respective work places, they meet with people of different characters and since they have to co-operate in a work environment they adapt and are able to accommodate their partners’ differences as well (Debi 2007). This is very useful since it reduces the stress in most marriages and they are able to cooperate and understand each other more. Finally these parents are able to be more stable since if they are both earning then they act as a security to each other so that incase anything happens to either of them then the family can be able to continue with life without experiencing any financial problems. The situation of both parents working is both pleasing and disturbing; the modern lifestyle has made it a necessity for both parents to work so that they can be able to afford more food, a better home. However, this work is what takes the parent move away from the children. In the first years of a child’s life it is important if they have a prominent person who they can emulate in their life. At that developmental stage of their life, the children acquire the goals and norms from the people around them and from the love and care that they receive. It is always best if the children have their first experiences with their parents where they are able to develop their cognitive physical, emotional and social skills. The working couples are reported to have more problems in their marital life since they are more absorbed in their work and hardly have time for each other (Debi 2007). Sex is a vital element in the marriage life and every partner should contribute towards its success. Even though the two parents have tight schedules, they should try to create some time for intimacy which is necessary for them to relax and even release their emotional distress. After several days of being spending the days away from each other, and this continues in the evening when the woman has to attend to housework, it then becomes very easy for both partners to lose touch. When the two parents are at work their personalities also change since their daily tasks have to change as well. For the parents who don’t spend the entire time with their children there is the possibility of the children feeling insecure and even shy to express their personal emotions to people taking care of them yet they consider them to be strangers (Christine 2003). In summary, when both parents are working, there is more money in the family and this could in turn lead to pampering and lavish living which may cause a great negative results. There good financial status should be coupled with good morals and try as much as possible to create time to spend with their children so as to minimize these effects (Carmel 2008).This is because familiarity is what forms behavior and in most cases if the parents are not around then the children will get the habits from their caregivers. Incase relatives are not available to take care of their children then it is important for the parents to go through all the reference checklists for the best caregivers who are qualified in the field (Roy 1985). The working parents should organize their activities and when at home they should co-ordinate and ensure that they supervise what their children have been doing in the course of the day. This is important so as to be able to balance work and parenting as well as keep the relationship stable. This way the families of the working parents will function as well as that of those who spend time at home. References Carmel D, Sue S, (2008). Working with parents: a guide for education professionals, Sage publication limited. London Christine H, Jill Rose F. (2003), A Practical Guide to Working with Parents, Nelson Thorne’s Ltd, United kingdom Debi R., John C., (2007), working with parents of young people: research, policy and practice, Jessica Kingsley publishers, London Roy McConkey, (1985) working with parents: a practical guide for teachers and therapists, Croom Helm, USA Read More