Work-Life Balance: Investigating the Socio-Emotional Development of Children with Working Mothers in Pakistan

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the impact of working mothers on their children’s socio-emotional development, focusing on self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and interpersonal skills. Children face several socio-emotional development effects that are the result of their mother’s employment during their early developmental years (4 to 14 years old). A descriptive design was employed to fulfill the aim of the study. This study was conducted at a selected governmental university (the University of Sargodha) in Sargodha city. I gathered data from 100 working mothers who fulfilled the criteria for purposive sampling. A structured questionnaire sheet using a 5-point Likert scale. The mother’s communication style (correlation coefficient: 0.910, p < 0.01), method of parenting (correlation coefficient: 0.830, p < 0.01), and nature of work (correlation coefficient: 0.932, p < 0.01) all had a positive and significant effect on the socio-emotional development of the children. The findings suggest that while maternal employment poses challenges of maintaining work-life balance and managing stress, the benefits such as financial independence, role modeling, and the potential for enhanced self-esteem far outweigh the difficulties