No matter what you choose, remember that you are still your child's essential caregiver--the most consistent source of love and support in his or her life. Childcare is not a bad thing. In business as well as your personal life, if you just stop for a minute and consider your situation objectively, you already know the answer: You are a smart, empowered, and busy working mother. Follow your instincts, as you always have, and bask in your success!
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. To free disease and infection, check out diseaseless review/ or to understand how to really relate to your man check out he's not that complicated review/
