EP 593 How Working Class Young Parents Handle It All

There is a lot of literature about the sacrifices that professional women make when choosing to have a family.  Much has also been written about single moms and their travails.  Our guest is exploring new territory as she zeroes in on working class young people and their approaches to caring for a baby while also needing to work at jobs that in general do not give them much, if any, flexibility.  This cohort represents the largest group of young parents in our country.  These are the essential front-line workers who have little autonomy in the workplace and have few government benefits that are of great value.  What good is family leave when it’s only for a twelve week duration and without pay?  These are the people generally working paycheck to paycheck, like a majority of Americans.  Maureen Perry-Jenkins, a psychology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is the author of “Work Matters: How Parents’ Jobs Shape Children’s Well-Being”.  These young parents each have different stories.  Some are doing well.  Others just getting by with the help of family and friends and great determination.  You will be moved by their stories and come away with a much greater appreciation for how their work intersects with their most important job–raising that newborn child.

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