Implications of shift work for parent-adolescent relationships in dual-earner families

This investigation examined the implications of shift work for parent-adolescent relationship quality - intimacy, conflict, parental knowledge, and involvement - in a sample of 376 dual-earner families. The findings suggested that mothers' relationships with their adolescents were not negatively impacted by their working nonstandard schedules but fathers' relationships were. Adolescents with shift working mothers reported more relationship intimacy than adolescents with daytime working mothers. In contrast, fathers with nonstandard shifts knew significantly less about their teens' daily activities than did fathers with daytime shifts. The combination of fathers having nonstandard schedules and a marriage with high conflict predicted less intimacy with adolescents. Our findings suggest the need for policy that assists nonstandard workers with staying knowledgeable about their adolescents' daily activities.