Stay At Home Moms & Schoolkids

I was talking with a woman I know (call her Keronna) who teaches 2nd grade.

Keronna: I've been informally surveying my students in the last 7 or so years and I found out the weirdest thing. The kids who are at least one grade level behind (or more) all come from homes with stay-at-home moms. Isn't that weird?

Me: Yeah...why did you start doing that?

Keronna: Well ever since I got my 2nd Master's, I started getting really interested in data. And, since I don't have a kid of my own yet but I want to have a kid someday....AND since I was interested in what the commonality was with these kids who are all so far behind...I started asking the kids if their Mom worked {yes, worked outside the home} or was a stay-at-home Mom. And the kids who were really far behind all had stay at home Moms.

Keronna: All these kids with Mom's at home have no time management skills, don't do their homework, and are behind the other kids...they aren't the gifted kids, that's for sure...

Me: Well, why do you think that Stay-At-Home Mom's have kids who are so far behind? What could be the reason?

[Me...thinking]

Me: Hey, do you think that it's just that Stay-At-Home Mom's can't get jobs because they don't have the same education as Working Mom's? Or maybe they're depressed because they're stuck at home and so they don't initiate anything with their kids?

What do you think? Why would Keronna see a pattern with Stay-At-Home Mom's and below grade level kids? What do you think is going on?

BTW...this is a true story.