Mother’s Late Return Home from Work, Family Relationship, and Non-cognitive Skills of Children: Evidence from Japanese Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Although previous studies examine the association between maternal employment status and child development, their findings are mixed and the mechanisms are not well understood. A potential explanation for the mixed results could be the omission of the time of returning home from work among working mothers, but this conjecture has not been tested in the literature. Using a nationwide child–parent survey in Japan (N=4,757), this study examines the association between mothers’ time of returning home and their children’s locus of control. The results of the entropy balancing method demonstrate that the daughters of mothers who return after 7 pm are more likely to believe that they cannot control their life outcomes, while such an association is not observed for mothers who return by 7 pm. This relationship is mediated by the deterioration of family relationships. In line with theoretical predictions, the negative association is more severe among households with high socioeconomic status, while it is mitigated if fathers return home early or children co-habit with their grandparents. These findings are relevant for policymakers, given the increasing number of married women in full-time and managerial positions and the diffusion of teleworking. JEL Classification: D91, J13, J22