How Are Children Affected With a Parent Who Works the Night Shift?

Some parents prefer to work the night shift because it allows them to spend the day doting on their small children, while other families suffer through the inconvenience because it's the only way to make ends meet. It's a difficult choice, however, both for parent and child. Although parents get the paycheck -- once you factor in sleep-deprived mommies and spotty quality time -- children often the pay the price.

  1. Quality Time

    • According to a study published in the Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, parents who work nights report difficulty finding quality time to spend with their children. This can have a negative effect, as the working parent is often absent when kids wake up and/or go to sleep, as well as during the homework hour, dinner time and bath time. The study reports that even when parents who work the night shift are home, they are often disengaged due to exhaustion.

    Stress

    • Working nights can be equated with a stressful household, especially if the parent -- and therefore, the child̵7;s -- schedule is inconsistent. Parents who alternate between working nights and days often find it difficult to pin down a steady, inexpensive, trustworthy daycare provider who can work around their fluctuating schedule. Often parents who work the night shift have to rely on their co-parent or other relatives to care for the child, which can lead to resentment and an unequal distribution of household responsibility. According to a report published by the Center for Labor Market Research at Curtin University, the night shift can also negatively affect employees̵7; circadian rhythms, which can lead to a variety of health conditions, as well as depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue. In turn, when parents come home, they are often too tired to interact with their children in a way that properly stimulates their intellect, such as holding long conversations, playing games or reading to them.

    Aggression and Depression

    • According to GoodTherapy.org, a recent study by Cornell University examined how children were affected by the experience of having a mother who worked nights full time. The report found that these children were more likely to be depressed, anxious and aggressive than children whose mothers did not work at night.

    Benefits

    • Even though there can be several drawbacks for children whose parents work the night shift, the New America Foundation reported that, regardless of the hours worked, children fare better when there is more income flowing into the home. In this case, parents who work the night shift have a shot at strengthening the financial security of their household, even though the opportunity comes with some emotional penalties. HealthyChildren.org also reports that, in two-parent households where mom works nights, dads have an enhanced role that can lead to increased bonding and a closer relationship with the children.

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