The Pros and Cons of Daycare

Parenting is a full-time job, but you can’t always be with your children. Most parents need to go to work or they have other obligations that they need to fulfill. Daycare is a popular option for these situations, but it’s important to fully understand the pros and cons of daycare before deciding if it’s the right option for you or your children.

Pros

Professional Child Care

Many employees of daycare centers are trained and certified in child care. They may also have additional training and education in areas such as teaching or emergency medical treatment to ensure that your child has a safe and fun experience during their stay.

Reliable

One of the most frustrating aspects of finding someone to care for your child is ensuring they’re reliable. Babysitters and nannies sometimes get sick or have other plans that they need to tend to, and relying on a last minute replacement that you’re unfamiliar with can be worrying. Since there are numerous employees at a daycare center, you won’t have to worry about them being unavailable to care for your child.

Independence

It’s healthy for children to have some time to start breaking away from their parents early in their lives. Spending a few hours or a day at daycare and getting used to the routine of spending time away from their parents while also knowing they will always come back will help prepare children for more prolonged and regular periods of separation when they start school. It also gives them an opportunity to start focusing on themselves more as individuals and allows children to gain more confidence in their abilities to start being more independent.

Socialization

Socialization is very difficult to replicate in your own home. Children can learn basic socialization skills at home by interacting with parents or siblings, but they need a varied amount of socialization with children around their own age and even with other adults. They learn about self-control, manners, sharing, respect, taking turns and much more while in daycare, which will help prepare them as they begin to build social lives in school and throughout adulthood.

Wide Array of Entertaining Resources

Daycares are loaded with toys, games, puzzles, books, art supplies and more to ensure that your child has a varied and fun time. Many daycares also have special events and classes planned such as talent shows, plays, gymnastics, arts and crafts, and music. Certain events might even include parents and siblings to get the whole family involved in the fun whenever they’re able.

Educational Benefits

In addition to being fun, the resources at many daycares can also be educational for your child. Educational toys, books and puzzles teach problem-solving skills, improve language development and introduce them to letters and numbers. Since it’s also common for employees to have training and experience in teaching, your child will have a more enriching educational experience.

Cons

Cost

The price of enrolling your child in daycare varies depending on the facility, but it can be very costly. On average, it’s typically cheaper than hiring a full-time nanny, but it’s more expensive than hiring a babysitter whenever you need one. Either way, daycare costs will amount to thousands of dollars every year. Some high-end daycare centers cost tens of thousands of dollars annually.

Sickness

While most daycare centers have a strict regimen of cleaning and sanitation, there’s no denying that they’re breeding grounds for germs. Many children don’t have a decent grasp on hygiene or cleanliness at this point in their lives, and it’s unreasonable to expect the employees to wipe down everything after one use. Because of this, the risk of a child contracting an illness increases significantly upon entering a daycare.

Many daycare centers will refuse to allow a sick child to stay there until they’re recovered, which creates additional issues. Many parents can’t afford to take off work to care for their sick child. Backup arrangements will need to be made.

Additionally, while it seems like a good idea to keep sick children away from daycare to prevent the other kids from getting sick, many illnesses can be contracted and spread in the human body for days or even weeks before symptoms emerge.

Strict Hours

Unlike most babysitters and nannies, daycare centers have strict hours for pick-up and drop-off, and they’re usually closed on major holidays. If you need to get into work early, you’ll have to find another option for child care. If you’re running late, you’ll likely be charged a hefty fee.

Possible Behavioral Problems

Socialization is a great benefit to daycare, but your child will likely be exposed to children with behavioral problems, which may prompt them to partake in similar behavior.

In a daycare environment, children outnumber adults by a considerable amount, and it’s difficult to give each child the type of focused attention that they’re likely used to getting at home. This lack of attention may tempt them to act out since bad behavior warrants a response from children and other adults. It’s also possible for this behavior to spill into their home lives. There’s no telling which child is more susceptible than others to pick up bad behaviors from other children, but it’s a possibility for all of them.

Conflicts with Temperaments

Some children take to daycare incredibly easily, but others have a lot of difficulty adjusting to this new environment. It’s a strange place with new people and a lot of other kids. Your child’s temperament may not meld well with daycare. For some children, it may just take some time, but it may be too much stimulation and anxiety for them to handle at this point. After their first day in daycare, take note of how they’re acting, what they’re saying about it and ask the employees how your child acted all day. Don’t ignore the warning signs that your child may be unhappy or overwhelmed.

Every situation for both parents and children are unique. Daycare can be a great option for many families, but it’s understandable if it’s not the right choice for your family. You need to take each pro and con into consideration to see if daycare is truly the best decision for you and your children.