For the many people who have “non-standard” working hours – evenings, nights or otherwise – the schedule can be especially challenging for children at home. But a new study from the University of Washington finds consistent hours, no matter what time of day, offers families flexibility and, in some cases, can improve children's behavior. The study focuses on two-parent families in which a parent works a non-standard shift, hours that are common in the health care, law enforcement and service sectors. The study finds that the effects of parental work schedules on children vary by age and gender, often indicating which shift a parent is working. Rotating shifts – a schedule that varies from day to day or week to week – can be most problematic for children.
Non-standard schedules, especially for single-parent and lower-income families, are associated with behavioral problems in children, according to past research. To add to that study, data on two-parent families in which one parent performed non-standard duty was examined.
Using information from previous studies, parents' working hours were analyzed against their periodic reports of children's behavior. Children's behavior (aged 5 to 15 years) was assessed through a 28-question survey that addressed issues such as anxiety, aggression, and peer interaction. Those results are given a Behavioral Problems Index score – the higher the score, the more problems a child is said to have.
Among the findings:
* A mother's night shift had benefits for boys and girls, especially when they were young
* A mother's alternating shift, or a split shift – apparently a few hours in the morning and' working evenings again – was associated with greater problems in boys of all ages and older girls
* A father's rotating or split shift was associated with more behavioral problems in girls, especially younger girls
* The A father's night shift seemed to coincide with behavioral benefits in boys.
What is less clear is why.
But when it comes to nonstandard shift work, a consistent schedule — the same hours, on the same days of the week — seems to buffer the negative effects, according to the study. It provides consistency in childcare, gives children more structure and allows the family to predict a parent's availability for activities. For example, one parent who regularly works the night shift may intentionally try to be awake and available to children before and after school, while the other parent arranges dinner and bedtime.
