The Effects of Daycare on Children

Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate. ~Anonymous

There are good reasons for and good reasons against using daycare for your child. It is a great mental relief for working parents if you think you’ve found a good service. Some parents both have to work, and this leaves little choice about using daycare. But what are the effects of daycare on your children?

Negative Effects of Daycare

Your child might experience some negative effects depending on several things:
 The quality of the daycare provided
 How much time your child spends in daycare
 How old your child is
 The level of home environment quality

If a child has to spend long days in daycare, he or she might suffer from parental separation anxiety, but it has been shown that this kind of stress dissolves over time. It’s been particularly difficult for shy children who might not open up as easily as some others and who might find it challenging to interface with more outgoing other children.

The influence between a mother and her child cannot be denied, and if the mother has to place the child in daycare for longer sessions, he misses the bonding that gets formed with his mother. This might make the child bond to the daycare teacher, because, bond he will! The mother in this situation has to work on deep bonding at home when she can spend time with her child, because the strength of that bond establishes the support for all his relationships to follow in life. Without this bond established at home, the child might express behavior problems, moodiness, and have a difficulty adjusting into later years.

Some kids in daycare may feel vulnerable or unprotected, and unless there is a daycare teacher with keen insight as to the “why” of a child’s crying or behavioral problems, it will make the child feel even less safe. This is a signal for more mother-bonding at home so the child won’t display insecurities because he feels more secure.

Some children in daycare might show a tendency to become sick more often. This might happen for a wide variety of reasons and if a parent sees this get-sick-tendency, he might check on other sick kids at school, how clean the school facility is, whether hygiene practices are encouraged, what the child’s own immunity level is, etc. Again, a strong mother-bonding encourages the growth of immunity.

Positive Effects of Daycare

Does this mean that I think a child should not go to daycare? No! The benefits of daycare far outweigh any problems it may incur. Daycare contributes strongly to the overall development of a child for his mind, his emotions, and his habits. He receives social stimulation and guidance. He learns basic facts like colors, shapes, numbers, letters, as well as drawing and movement skills.
If a child is in daycare with a teacher-student relationship that allows for much personal attention from the teacher, where there is cleanliness and friendliness, your child will gain from the experience and his development will be enhanced.