The working parent effect: Raising future leaders

Mass. — Thursday, April 23rd, is ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’ and while it may look like a fun day away from school, research shows this experience can shape how kids see their entire future. This national event began in the early 1990s to boost girls’ confidence and career dreams and later expanded to include boys. Now science suggests that when children, especially daughters, see their moms working, they don’t just picture jobs; they picture themselves in leadership. And when fathers model shared caregiving, kids grow up with very different ideas about work, equality, and family roles.

From the office to the lab and factories to farms, workplaces are opening their doors for children to see what adults actually do all day. Seeing real jobs and real role models can shape how they think about work, gender roles, and their own futures.

A Landmark Harvard Business School study found that daughters of working mothers are more likely to hold jobs, be in a supervisory role, and earn higher incomes compared with daughters whose mothers stayed home full-time. In fact, researchers discovered that girls with working moms were more likely to expect to be leaders themselves.

But it doesn’t stop with daughters; sons of working mothers also tend to take on more household responsibilities and caregiving roles later in life.

Decades of research show that having a working mom does not harm children’s behavior or academic performance. In fact, many studies find that kids of working mothers show similar, and sometimes stronger, confidence and independence as they grow.

So whether it’s a microscope, a meeting room, or a machine shop, today isn’t just about seeing where parents work; it’s about kids deciding where they might belong one day.

Research shows dads matter here too. When fathers are visibly involved in both work and caregiving, sons grow up more likely to share family responsibilities, and daughters grow up expecting leadership, not limits. So, take our daughters and sons to work day isn’t just about what kids learn in offices and labs; it’s about how both moms and dads consciously shape the next generation of confident workers and capable caregivers.

Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.

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Sources:

https://www.hbs.edu/news/articles/Pages/mcginn-working-mom.aspx

https://journalistsresource.org/economics/working-mother-employment-research

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