A study by Britain’s Institute of Child Health reports that kids of working mothers are more likely to eat unhealthy snacks and watch a lot of TV. Cue the Guilt Police! The study looked at 12,500 five-year-olds, and controlled for factors like socioeconomic status and mothers’ education. Researchers found that children of working mothers were more likely to drink soda and eat “crisps and sweets” between meals, and less likely to snack on fruits and vegetables, than their peers with stay-at-home moms. Kids whose mothers worked were also more likely to be driven to school, rather than walking or biking, and more likely to spend two or more hours a day watching TV or using the computer. The effect on kids’ eating and exercise habits was less when mothers worked part-time than when they work full-time, but still significant, and in fact, the average employed mom in the study worked only 21 hours a week. According to the Guardian, “flexible working had an impact, but […] no strong effect on the health of the children.
