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Childcare

This photo is licensed under cc by sa 2.0 by {just jennifer}

I was more nervous than my toddlers on their first day of childcare. And I'm sure I wasn't the only nervous parent!

My eldest daughter started when she was three, and my youngest two. I usually drop them off and pick them up within normal school hours, even though it is a long day care centre.

My daughters attend childcare through my own personal preference, despite the fact that I no longer have a corporate job involving an hour-and-a-half long commute.

I could very well keep them at home with me every single day, at least until the law requires for them to attend school, but I still want them to experience childcare.

They only go there two days a week, because I want my girls to be with me the majority of the time. I want to be their primary caregiver. But more on that later...

There are a variety of reasons why parents choose for their toddlers to attend (or not to attend) child care.

Since over the past few decades there has been an increase in the number of families in which both parents work, care from outside of the home has become an essential part of the equation.

In addition, with the rise in divorce rates, there are more single parents than ever. Also in this day and age, we seem to be moving away (especially in Western cultures) from the extended family ideal - with siblings, aunts, uncles, mum and dad - sometimes living in another town, another state, or even abroad.

In this situation, with both parents (or single parent) working, childcare could possibly be the only option.

Home Versus Out of Home Care...

I am very much in favour of the stay-at-home approach to parenting. That is, I think that every child benefits immensely from having at least one parent at home to do the majority of the care giving.

While I understand that the world is a very different place nowadays - with mortgages to pay and higher living costs, sometimes it is just not possible to get by without both parents in the workforce.

But my belief is - if you can afford not to be out in the paid workforce, then go ahead and spend that precious time with your toddler, at least until she attends school. It will do her a world of good to be able to spend her toddler years with the person dearest to her.

That said, it is you who decides how you are going to meet your toddler's needs, and you who decides how you are going to meet the family's economic needs.

Remember that whatever your situation calls for - should be the right choice for you and your toddler. There is certainly no right or wrong choice in this instance. You just do what you have to do.

Now, for those parents that are completely opposed to sending their toddler to childcare, they may use this argument...

According to a long running study of more than 1,100 children in the United States, children who spend long hours out of their parents care are three times more likely to be aggressive and disobedient. It is my guess that this statistic could probably be applied to Australia too.

Does this news surprise you?

Now, by giving you the above statistic, it is not my intention for anyone to go into a round of soul-searching should your toddler already attend childcare five days a week!

Don't allow a statistic to alarm you into thinking that your toddler is guaranteed to turn into a wild, ill-behaved rascal! Remember that there are other factors to take into account when dealing with toddler behaviour.

Building Blocks for Early Learning...

Many of the larger centres have educational programs in place to help your toddler prepare for 'big school'. These programs are often called school readiness programs, and some children start these programs as early as 3 to 4 years of age.

My eldest daughter, who will be commencing big school in 2009, attends a childcare centre that has been featured in The Australian newspaper and Seven's Sunrise television show for their school readiness program.

Her centre has been praised for implementing a unique and outstanding mathematics program that has proven to be a success for many of the children that have left the centre and have started kindergarten with this particular skill set.

One of the most important benefits of childcare, I find, has nothing to do with academic or educational plans. It is the socialisation with other children and adults, which frankly, they cannot get anywhere else. Yes, my daughters do get to see other kids from time to time, but it's just not the same.

The continual mixing with other children in a group setting allows my girls to learn to get on with others, a valuable social skill that they will need once they start big school anyway.

In addition, my daughters' centre can provide a range of resources that I can't, for example: -

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