DYK? Parenting Behaviour Affects Kids' Economic Future
Study Shows Hands-On Parenting Reaps Benefits
Good day, dearest Digital Village.
At this point in my life, with two teenagers (actually one will go from teen to young adult in mere days!), my parenting game has gone from “What’s the right thing to do here?” to “How can I make the most of the end game?” and/or “How can I fix what I’ve previously messed up?”
With this in mind, the results of a new scientific study piqued my interest and I want to share the data with you.
This article summarizes a longitudinal study published by Ellen McGinnis et al titled: Parental supervision positively impacts children’s economic prospects two decades later: A prospective longitudinal study.
The study tested the impact of parental supervision on children’s income two decades later (adjusted for parental economic and educational status). Note that researchers studied American families in the southeastern U.S. Here’s what they found:
“We know financial resources improve child outcomes, and this study suggests parental behavior likely also has a role. Based on our findings, policy could be implemented to focus on helping parents in their capacity to supervise their children via providing more family and community resources, and/or psycho-education.”
Parental supervision of the child is associated with increased household income for the child at age 35.
Adequate parental supervision during early adolescence is also associated with children’s economic prospects two decades later, in part by improving their educational prospects.
Childrens’ opportunities in adulthood are associated with their family of origin’s socioeconomic status.
During middle and high school, academic engagement and motivation often decline, however:
Knowledge of a child’s whereabouts and daily parent-child engagement are linked to decreased adolescent delinquency, as well as, school dropout, greater academic engagement, and achievement.
Therefore, parental supervision during adolescence may influence later economic functioning.
Of course, you’re probably wondering about what “inadequate supervision” entails. For these researchers, it meant: “Parent fails to provide sufficient supervision as shown by frequent lack of knowledge of child’s whereabouts, activities, or company; and/or fails to maintain effective control/ or disciplinary strategies; and/or is not concerned, or does not attempt to intervene, when child’s behavior is deviant, or likely to lead him/her into trouble.”
They go on to say, that “inadequate supervision included the possibility of endorsement due to parent’s inability to ‘maintain effective control over child’.”
It’s tricky, right? With pressure to maintain an aura of an IG-worthy “perfect family” and also pressure from children to let them spread their wings and “do what they want”, sometimes parents don’t know how far to let their child roam and/or feel unsure about mentioning any problems or concerns they have with their family. This may also be due to a (rightful) concern about their child’s privacy.
In the end though, we have to remember our “end goal” as parents: It’s not to be perfect, it’s not to impress our neighbours or even our own parents, it’s to do what’s right for our own little family and our particular children.
While we may worry (and some worrying is perfectly fine - even helpful!), our role as parents is to instill confidence in our children while, at the same time, ensuring that they’re building independence, self-worth and autonomy. That does NOT mean, letting them do what they want when they want. It means adequately supervising their wearabouts and day-to-day activities without hovering (helicopter parent anyone?).
It is tough — and if anyone says otherwise, they’re lying. But, as this study shows, adequate supervision and interest in our children’s lives leads not only to higher confidence and self-worth but also to better economic outcomes as adults!
How do you feel about “adequate supervision”? Do you struggle with how to teach your child independence without causing grief or harm? I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment or write to me privately.
Your partner in non-perfect parenting,
Lisa