This article presents an overview of the major issues investigated in a longitudinal study of development from infancy through early adulthood regarding the relationships between maternal and dual-earner employment and children's development. Based on the results of this extensive and long-term study, as well as integrating the results of other researchers, the authors advance a developmental impingement and family adaptation perspective to guide the interpretation of research findings as well as to formulate new research directions. Maternal and dual-earner employment can best be understood in the context of the multiplicity of factors that exist in the child's environment.
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