Day 26

Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.

The summary report below reviews findings from the 30-year body of research evaluating the effects of non-maternal child care (day care) on children’s social-emotional development.

Summary of the study

• Children who spend longer hours (30 hours/week) in day care are more likely to exhibit problematic social behaviors including aggression, conflict, poorer work habits and risk-taking behaviors throughout childhood and into adolescence.
• The negative effects of day care are more persistent for children who spend long hours in center-care settings.
• Although high quality day care has some positive effects, it does not reduce the negative effects associated with long hours in day care.
• Mothers whose children spend long hours in day care show a decrease in sensitivity in their interactions with their child during their child’s early years.

 by Jenet Jacob Erickson, Ph.D

I read this for my Family Foundations course.  I'm not for sure if I agree with it.  I was in a day care growing up and I don't feel like I experienced any real "problematic social behaviors" and I can say for certain that my mother was never less sensitive in her interactions with me.  She is an awesome mom. I suppose that in circumstances where the family is not at the same spiritual level as mine (its a huge part of how I was raised and treated as a family) then of course this would be a reasonable argument because of the lack of nurturing done by the mother. However I do not think day care is the main cause of those problematic behaviors.  I think it would be due to the family situation at home.  My parents took me to day care so they could provide for us.  If a mother and father only care about work and it takes priority over their children, I think that is where the real problem is.