University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

Download PDF
Publication #FAR5054

 

Parents' After-School Stress1

Suzanna Smith2

Figure 1. 
[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

Working parents of school-age children often worry about what their children are doing after school in those hours before parents get home from work. After-school programs are scarce in many communities, so parents often struggle with unreliable and complicated informal arrangements—or children care for themselves and sometimes for younger siblings at home alone (Barnett & Gareis, 2006).

At times, self-care arrangements can be unreliable or dangerous, and cause parents to worry. In addition, unsupervised children and teens are at high risk for juvenile crime, substance use, sexual activity, and victimization (Barnett & Gareis, 2006). No wonder parents worry!

A recent study reported in the Journal of Marriage and Family looked at how parents' after school stress or their level of concern for their children's welfare, affected their own well-being. They found that as a group their small sample of 240 parents was somewhat stressed about after-school arrangements, and at least some parents were very stressed. There was also a statistical relationship between stress and lower emotional well-being that was stronger for parents of girls than boys and for parents of younger versus older children (Barnett & Gareis, 2006).

Although we have come a long way in improving daycare options for young children, far more working parents have school-age than preschool-age children, and there are fewer after-school care options (Barnett & Gareis, 2006). In the years ahead, school districts, policy makers and parents will need to continue to work together to make high quality after-school care more affordable and available to families.

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

To listen to the radio broadcast:

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/459.mp3

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/459.wav

Reference

Barnett, R. C., & Gareis, K. C. (2006). Parental after-school stress and psychological well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 101-108.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR5054, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 459. Published February 2009. Reviewed March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service; Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida; Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.