<p>This study examines the impact of mothers’ labor force participation (MLFP) on child time allocation to explore the associating factors with boys’ disengagement from education in developing regions. Using original time-use data from the rural Philippines and employing exogenous institutional changes in the regional labor market, the study finds that MLFP widens the gender gap in child time-allocation patterns, with daughters dedicating more time to educational activities than sons. This effect is particularly pronounced when formal working and self-employed mothers are compared, suggesting that daughters respond to their parents as role models in terms of occupational stability, which requires educational attainment. For boys, the study explores the mechanism behind the effect by comparing the extended family setting with other scenarios to determine whether diminished maternal opportunities to monitor children affect sons’ educational engagement. Overall, these findings contribute to an understanding of the complex dynamics between maternal employment and gender gaps in children’s human capital formation in conditions of poverty.</p>