If you’re a new mom who’s about to go back to work, you’ve probably been spending a lot of time researching childcare facilities and fretting about the though of sending your brand new baby to daycare.
You might be asking yourself if daycare is the right choice, what type of facility fits your family’s needs, or if you can even trust your little in the care of someone who isn’t you.
Although it’s the reality for many of us, the thought of sending our children to daycare is stressful. It can bring up intense feelings of working mom guilt and anxiety. It might even make us reconsider if re-entering the workforce is the right move.
Yes, it can be a highly emotional and difficult adjustment, but there are actually lots of benefits to sending our kids to daycare. Finding the right childcare for our children can be beneficial for both our kids and ourselves.
1. Social and emotional development
The ability to build and maintain relationships is one of the most important life skills for children. Working with others towards a common goal, communicating feelings and needs, sharing, making friends, and learning through observation – all the things they do in daycare – helps our children develop valuable social and emotional skills.
2. Building immunity
You’ve probably heard about how often kids get sick when they go to daycare. It’s true. BUT, there is a silver lining – the process builds their immunity and helps make our kids more resilient to the all the germs they will be exposed to in the world.
In the first year of starting daycare, it was hard times in the household while we were dealing with constant sickness. But as time went on, his tolerance (and mine) to getting sick got increasingly better. Now, we don’t worry so much when he puts a leaf in his mouth at the park or waddles around mouth-first in the play gym ball pits (do they ever clean those out?).
3. Preparation for school
Many daycares and child care providers, especially the high-quality ones, have highly qualified teachers and established curriculums that facilitate early learning and help our kids prepare for kindergarten.
Not only do our children have the opportunity to get familiar with the basics at daycare – shapes, colors, numbers, and letters – before they get to kindergarten, they also learn the valuable social and emotional skills they need to do well in school.
4. Developmental milestones
Experienced daycare caregivers usually have a good sense of where children should be as far as their developmental milestones. If something about our kids’ behavior or development seems worth paying attention to, they can communicate that to us so we can take action if needed.
For first time moms in particular who may not be as familiar with what’s considered ‘normal’, it’s It’s helpful to have an experienced eye monitoring our kids’ progress and growth.
5. Developing independence
My ultimate goal as a mom is to raise a kind, confident, and independent kid who is capable of handling life’s challenges. I love my son infinitely, but I want him to grow as his own person. That said, it’s hard to fight the mom instinct to help whenever I see my son dealing with even the slightest struggle.
Daycare offers the space for children to build independence with qualified caregivers in a safe space.
Without mom rushing in to help, our babies can learn how to do things on their own and navigate through challenges in a safe environment. That helps to build confidence and prepares them for school and life.
6. Consistency and routine
Most daycares and child care providers have an established schedule for children which includes play time, outside time, reading time, diaper changes or potty time etc.
Consistency is important for children because it helps make the day predictable, and studies show that they actually do better overall when there is a daily routine in place.
7. An opportunity for rest
There are days when I’ve taken a day off from work and still sent my son to daycare, and I do not feel one ounce of guilt for this.
My son is fed, changed regularly, doing crafts and playing games, socializing, and generally living his best life with his friends.
On those days, I’m catching up on things, resetting my brain, and taking a break from the demands of working mom life. It does absolute wonders for my mental and emotional health, and makes me a better mom and wife.
8. An opportunity to focus on my career
Many moms go back to work after maternity leave because we actually want to. We worked hard for our careers and enjoy what we do. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a stellar mom who is also career-driven.
Sending our kids to daycare gives us the time and separation we need to work and grow within our fields. Being able to focus on our jobs while our kids are cared for can also lead to better opportunities and more financial stability.
Sending our babies to daycare is tough on us emotionally. It can bring about a lot of working mom guilt and anxiety. But knowing of the many social, emotional, and academic benefits of the right setting can help us feel more optimistic about the transition to daycare.
Sources
Oksman, Elli, et al. “Associations between Early Childcare Environment and Different Aspects of Adulthood Sociability: The 32-Year Prospective Young Finns Study.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, 10 Sept. 2019, p. 2060, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6746937/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02060.
Selman, Saliha, and Janean Dilworth‐Bart. “Routines and Child Development: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Family Theory and Review, vol. 1, no. 1, 2023, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jftr.12549, https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12549.
Children’s Healthcare Associates. “Pros and Cons of Daycare – Children’s Healthcare Associates.” Www.chapeds.com, 27 Nov. 2023, www.chapeds.com/blog/1076359-pros-and-cons-of-daycare/.
Austrew, Ashley. “5 Major Benefits of Day Care for Kids, according to Research.” Care.com Resources, 2 Dec. 2022, www.care.com/c/benefits-of-day-care/.
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