The Effects Daycare Has on One’s Child and Family As a full-time working, single mother of two children, I have come across some difficulties in my time. I am struggling to find the funds to provide a quality childcare service for my children. My four year old son and two year old daughter are the most important thing in my life. Raising children on my own can be a struggle. It is hard to keep track of all the things they need as they are getting older. I have to maintain and provide a healthy diet, a safe place to live, and day to day necessities.
Nurturing and eing the main provider for them can be challenging because I do not have the partner to help assist me. As a single mother, I have to keep in mind how much I can afford for daycare, but also need to make sure I am choosing a provider whom I can feel safe with since they will be spending a lot of time with my children. Finding reliable resources, opinions, and information is a big part in helping me make the best decision about this crucial aspect of my life and the lives of my children. I have spent a lot of time researching the different effects daycare can have on children because this is one of my biggest concerns.
Daycare is believed to have a major impact on the emotional development of children. I came to a better understanding of what emotional development really is with regards to a child which is defined as “learning to perceive, appraise, and express emotions, accurately and appropriately, to use emotions to facilitate thinking, to understand and analyze emotions, to use emotional knowledge effectively, and to regulate one’s emotions to promote both I am worried that they will not adjust well with being left alone with strangers and not having their father or me with them at all times.
Throughout both of my kid’s lives either their father or myself has been there; so I know it will be strange for them to be away from us for such a long period of time while I am at work. It is most definitely the hardest adjustment for young children to make. Separation from one’s parents brings along a whole new field of emotions that must be handled accordingly. I found that “children who were considered to have secure attachments to their mothers experienced negative effects from day-care, while insecurely attached infants appeared to benefit from the out of home care.
Insecure infants tend to show little stress and ignore their mother or are angry with her when she returns” (Lalli, 2008). This worries me more for my daughter because she is very attached to me and constantly wants my attention, unlike my son who has always been quicker to play and open up with other kids. One reason I believe that daycare could possibly benefit my children, especially my daughter, is because it gives them the opportunity to play with other kids and be away from people they are comfortable with.
I read that “day-care may provide a stable and consistent nvironment that make children feel safe but allows them to experience missing their parents and looking forward to the reunion with them” (Lialli, 2008). This brings me to ease a little because it is very important to me that my children feel safe but I also want them to feel comfortable with being away from me for long periods of time. I find the social development to be very important for both my children, I’m hoping by putting them in daycare this will open up new windows for them by communication and playing with others their age.
I have realized that it will be normal for my hildren to miss me and they may handle it in different ways individually. Emotionally, I especially witness my daughter to rely on me for many things even when there are other adults to help her. For instance, if she cannot put her straw in her Juice box she will go out of her way to find me rather than simply asking another adult. This is one thing in particular that I hope day-care can fix since she will be around other adults.
A test done on children noted that “when the mother took absence from the room, the children felt comfortable with the day-care provider and were not highly distressed … hildren in day-care usually do form relationships with their teachers but these bonds do not replace and are not stronger than the attachment they have to their mothers” (Lialli, 2008). This statement is exactly what I was looking for because I am not looking for a child-care provider that my kids feel are replacing me but someone they are comfortable with.
When I feel happy with a day-care I find it very important to get to know the people my children will be surrounded with because I will not be able to be there with them. Another big issue I am scared of is working full time and not being there enough for these important imes of my children’s lives. Findings revealed that, “although the quantity of time spent together was greater for the stay at home mothers, the quality did not differ between them and the working mothers” (Lialli, 2008).
Since work is an obligation of mine, I have no other choice but to do it. I realize that it is important for me to find the time to spend with my children since it is minable. After researching many things on the emotional development of children I did not find much credible data that between me and my kids. Yes, children are all different and will react to situations ifferently but I feel that I have found more to believe that day-care will be a positive thing.
Putting your children in day-care can also have an effect on their social and cognitive development. Social development is the development of a child learning to interact with others surrounding them. I researched one psychologists point of view in particular based on his studies on the cognitive development of children, who was Jean Piaget. I found that Piaget believed cognitive development to be a “progressive reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and nvironmental experience.
Children construct an understanding of the world around them, then experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment” (McLeod, 2009). As I mentioned before it is extremely important that my children learn to interact with other children and that they are able to experience and discover new situations. I have heard that some children can become aggressive because of day-care or be taught unnecessary things from day- care. “Social development may also be a product of cultural ideals taught in day cares.
Characteristics such as aggression, impulsivity, and egocentrism may reflect the American values that are often promoted or approved of by teachers and day- care providers” (Lialli, 2008). I do not want my children to develop any type or aggression or egocentrism because of what they are taught. I find it important for my children to educated but my goal is not for them to be drilled with cultural ideas especially at the ages they are at. I am concerned that since I will not be around I will not be able to witness what kind of care my children really are getting. Children in igher-quality care had somewhat better language and cognitive development and were more cooperative than those in lower-quality day care; those who spent more hours in day care had somewhat more behavior problems than those who logged fewer hours; and those in higher-quality care showed better cognitive development before kindergarten” (Boodman, 2008). While researching I have come across the quality of care to be key in the process of choosing the right day-care. I want what is best for my children and I believe it will be good if they are able to be taught things like languages, math, and cognition skills at a young age.
Picking things up at a younger age should only make it easier for them as they grow up. One thing I came across did scare me though. Findings found that “four and half year-olds who had spent more than 30 hours a week in child care were more demanding, more aggressive and more noncompliant than others” (Lewin, 2005). Since I do have a four year old daughter this brings serious concern to my attention because she will be there more than 30 hours a week with me being a full-time worker. I fear that the separation from her father and I could cause these things to happen like being demanding and aggressive.
As a parent, I am not sure how to make sure this does not happen. My plan is to communicate with the caregivers of my children to make sure they are not having any aggressive behavior and if they do ask for them to let me know so I can work with my children. Searching the web has really opened my eyes to many things I have not previously thought of. I have learned a lot on the effects day-care can have on my children such close friends, Nicole Londoff, about her personal experience with day-care since she has put all three of her boys through daycare.
Londoff also did not have the help rom her children’s father to help with the cost. Question: Did day-care have any effect on any of your children? Londoff: Yes, Cole mostly. He hated it and had a very hard time adjusting to social settings after being there because the kids would all bum rush him when he first got there and it would freak him out because he felt attacked so he would lash out at them and get in trouble. Question: How did your children differ in their reactions to daycare? Londoff: Like I mentioned before, Cole had the hardest time out of the three.
Ayden had a positive reaction to being around ther children and I saw a change in his social skills which really impressed me. Ayden and Gavin were easy to drop off without crying every time when I left while Cole held on to me almost every time. Question: Did the cost of day-care affect you in any way, did you get any assistance? Londoff: I had help from the government daycare assistance program and it was based on a sliding scale which according to my income put me in the $40/ week range for full time but otherwise would have cost me about $250/week which would have been most of my paycheck.
Question: What did you look for when looking for a day-care? Londoff: When I looked for one I was not sure what to look for so I went for distance and picked the closest one. I ended up being very disappointed with it after the fact. Question: What would you look for now if you could do it all over again? Londoff: Now I would look for curriculum, staff reputation, nutrition, how much time they had to exert energy, and ratio of children to staff. Finding a daycare is not a process that can be rushed. It takes a lot of time and research. Question: Did being separated from your children for long periods of time effect you in any way?
Londoff: At first, I was a nervous wreck. I frequently called up to the daycare to check on the boys because I was worried about how they were acting. As time went on I grew comfortable with the staff and it was much easier for me. Of course working full-time I missed spending time with them but it is something I had to do. It was much more relieving knowing they were in a safe environment. Based on Nicole’s response I am aware that daycare might have different results on my two kids. She said that daycare specifically had a negative effect on her middle child, Cole.
This worries me because my daughter especially can feel overwhelmed with other children and new ituations. It did bring me to ease when Nicole said she was able to get government assistance based on her income. This will be a great help for me since I am doing a lot of this on my own. I have also learned that it is very important to look for the right things when choosing a daycare for my kids. It should not Just be based Offa day- care that is convenient for me based on location or cost but more so a place that has a well-structured curriculum, good staff reputation, etc. One of more than 30 child development experts involved in an ongoing childcare study by the National Institute f Child Health and Human Development Researchers evaluate quality by looking at the way caregivers interact with children, caregiver-to-child ratios, group size, classroom space, the level of training and education of caregivers, and equipment. A low ratio is an especially critical measure” (BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board, 2011). updated toys but more importantly about how the caregivers will be reacting with my children and that there is a good staff to child ratio so my children will properly be assisted to.
Getting an opinion from one of my close friend’s means a lot to me ecause I can trust the information she has given me and it has helped me really put different aspects of putting my children in childcare. Word of mouth reputation of a business, day care included, usually consists of reliable reviews. Good or bad news travelling fast is a true statement and when the word on the street talks about the reputation of a daycare, I am prone to believing it. That is why if my trusted family, friends and neighbors put good faith into a daycare program, I feel safe using that service.
I am a firm believer in communication and this will be a big part of me eeling comfortable with leaving my children in the care of other adults. Each day I will take the time to talk to the care givers to check on how my children are behaving and ask if they have witnessed any special strengths or weaknesses, or any concerns they may have. This key communicating tool will better myself as a mother. “Good daily communication is a trademark of a positive parent/caregiver relationship” (Arkansas Department of Human Services. , 2013).
The relationship between the care givers of my children and I will be a big part in my children having a good, positive time during daycare. While the experience needs to be comfortable for me, it also needs to be enjoyable for my children. I also want the caregivers to understand what I want for my children and what my values are and how I want them to be taught to my offspring. “A healthy foundation must be laid both in the home and in the child care program” in order for children to have a healthy lifestyle established at a young age (Arkansas Department of Human Services. 2013). Consistency between the caregiver and I is vital. Many people who have told me about their personal experiences with day-care have told it is very important for me o conference with the workers both casually and properly. I want to find a day-care where it is encouraged to be a part of my child’s experience. “Observing in your child’s center or child care family home, both upon arrival and departure along with other visits, can help you see the full scope of what is being taught and how children are being encouraged by the staff’ (Arkansas Department of Human Services. 2013). I know I have to trust that the staff is professional and serious about their Jobs but if I am able to watch it live it will help me feel more comfortable with it. Although I have faced difficulties in my life with having to raise two children entirely on my own, I have learned that researching the proper day care services and providing them with the right care takers can put my mind at ease. With a good daycare system I can rely on, I am not raising my children single handedly.
A large reason child-care has continued to increase today is because gender-roles in women have changed dramatically from what they used to be. Most women are employed as full-time workers which take away from time spent with their children, much like myself. This ncrease has caused daycares to follow by the standard and regulations to help endorse a positive and safe development in adolescents. Focusing on the emotional, social and cognitive development of growing children, I have learned that daycare has its positive and negative effects on them.
Ultimately, daycare allows children to broaden their social skills and emotional harden having to be away from their parent. different inputs on whether daycare has had a positive or negative input on children. Based off the information I have found I feel that putting my children in daycare will e much easier and I am confident that I am making the right decision by doing this. References Arkansas Department of Human Services. (2013).
Communication – the link between parent and caregiver. BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. (2011). Babycenter. Boodman, S. (2008). Day cares. Research Has Eased Some Fears About Having Children Spend Their Days Away from Home. Lalli, G. (2008). The effects of day care on children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Lewin, T. (2005). 3 new studies assess effects of child care. McLeod, S. A. (2009). Jean Piaget. Simply Psychology.
