As long as your children are loved and cared for they will thrive regardless of whether or not you work outside the home. But if you're still struggling with embracing childcare, research the benefits for children in childcare.
According to the University of Missouri Extension, there is no evidence that children of working mothers develop any differently than children with mothers who stay at home. Actually, numerous studies have shown that children can benefit significantly by spending time in childcare while their parents work. What? Yes, it's true!
The benefits cited include socialization skills, more mature immune systems, and even academic advantages. I have provided more commonly cited benefits to get you started:
Independence
Children who have positive experiences separating from their parents earlier in life learn to trust that their parents will leave, but that they will always come back.
Every time I drop Parker at daycare, I say, "I love you, and I will see you soon!"
These short separations actually help build confidence in his own abilities and ultimately help him become a more self-reliant and thriving individual.
Socialization
There is no better social interaction for small children than being with other small children and having the opportunity to learn, play, and be accepting and tolerant of each other.
Siblings are great companions, but there are social benefits to your children playing in groups with others their age. That's where daycare comes in handy. Where else can a group of three-year-olds play together with organized activities?
I take great joy in picking Parker up and seeing him engaged in Batman or fireman dress-up games. He is with his friends and deeply involved in play, all under supervision in a safe and creative environment. Megan developed great friendships during her time at daycare. At only two years old, she made friends with two other little girls who, to this day, are still her very best friends.
Academic advantages
In a quality childcare environment, children also gain important intellectual and communication skills.
The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development funded a study to examine the effect of childcare experiences on children's cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. The study found that higher-quality care actually contributed to improved cognitive and language skills.
I am certain this is true. Before Parker started daycare, I would respond to his slightest grunt to meet his every need. But at daycare, we all learned that Parker had to "use his words"--his teachers pushed him to vocalize his requests. He was speaking before we knew it!
Preparation for school years
I never considered that going to daycare would make my children's transitions into the school years easier for me! For many mothers, the school transition is incredibly difficult. If their children have been home with them every day for five years, starting school can be very difficult for both the mother and the child. In this sense, I consider myself very lucky.
Megan, Emily, and Parker spent their toddler years in organized childcare. Because of this, their transition to full-day kindergarten was easier on all of us. All three of my kids have great social skills and have learned to be comfortable both in group settings and on their own. Parker has always loved coming home and sharing his day with me, telling me all about his new friends and activities. The experience has been happy for both of us, not met with resistance or stress.
Structure and routine
I know enough about myself to know that if I stayed home with my children, I would not regularly structure play dates, learning time, or age-appropriate art projects. It's just not one of my strong points! But, in daycare, all of these things are consistently provided for children.
When your kids are home with you all day, it can be easy to run out of fun activities, projects, and places to visit. Let's admit it--television can become a steady source of entertainment if we are not careful. But, in childcare, there is always something to do and someone to play with.
I am routinely astonished by the impressive structure and routine of Parker's daycare. One example is when I drop by and see a group of four-year-olds actively putting all of their toys away. The teacher explained that this is simply part of the routine. The children know that first they put the toys away, and then they have snack time. What a wonderful example of structure! We have taken to trying this at home now, too.
Respect for authority
In our home, Mom and Dad are in charge. However, at daycare, all of my children have learned to obey and respect other adults. This is an important life lesson they were fortunate to learn at an early age.
I have a friend who is always surprised when the daycare workers comment on how focused and well-behaved her daughter is in daycare. She has been tempted at times to ask if they are sure they have the right child! The truth is that children will frequently behave better when they are with other authority figures than when they are at home. Why?
One reason is peer pressure. Your child wants to be perceived by teachers and by others as "good." The second reason is that there is a security in most children that the love from a parent is unconditional. And though this security is a very positive thing, the result is that the child may be more likely to misbehave in the home environment than in the childcare facility.
Samantha Knowles is the author of Working Mom Reviews. Are You looking for a scientifically proven program, that will get you perfectly cut, ripped abs? Check out MI40x Learn Psychic abilities and how to harness them through telekinesis, materialization, teleportation and extreme healing Miracle Mastery
