When Mom has a bad job, the kids feel it

My high school guidance counselor pushed young women in two directions: teaching and nursing. It's ironic, then, that new research includes these in a list of "bad jobs" for mothers, determined by physical danger and level of stress. The children of women who had these jobs, which also included therapist, nurse, cleaners and nurse's aides, scored lower than average on verbal and math sections of standardized tests. The moms in bad jobs spent just as much time with their kids as moms in other jobs; researchers surmise it's the quality of interaction that affects the child's achievement.