According to academics from the University of Essex and University College London, who carried out the study, the more time a mother spends with her child between the ages of three and seven, the better that child’s cognitive and social skills will be.
The research, thought to be the first of its kind to look at the effect of time spent with mothers on their children, uses data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study of more than 8,000 children and their mothers.
It also found that first-born children tend to benefit the most from spending more time with their mothers than siblings born after them, as well as those whose mothers are highly educated.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
