The effects of divorce, maternal employment, and maternal social support on toddlers’ home environments

The present study investigated the home environments of 45 toddlers aged 18 to 41 months whose mothers were married or divorced and working or nonworking. Stimulation in the home was evaluated with the HOME, toddler’s cognitive competence was assessed using the Bayley and Stanford-Binet scales, and maternal social support was measured with the Inventory of Parent Experiences. Results indicated that divorced mothers provided their toddlers with less stimulation in the home and reported less intimate support and less satisfaction with their life situation than married mothers. Working mothers were more accepting of their child’s behavior than nonworking mothers. Marital status, maternal education, and mothers’ life satisfaction accounted for 43% of the variation in HOME scores, while HOME scores accounted for 11% of the variation in cognitive development scores. The need for comprehensive studies of infants and toddlers in divorced families is discussed.