Three Of The Most Common Misconceptions Parents Have About Sending Their Kids To Daycare
Just about every aspect of parenting has people falling on both sides of the debate, with both sides convinced their way is the best. And it's not different when it comes to daycare. Some parents see daycare as the best way to make sure their child is cared for during the day, while some parents see daycare as an open door to expose their child to all the evils of lesser parents. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions on both sides. Here's a look at three of the biggest things parents just get wrong about sending their kids to daycare.
Misconception #1: Daycare causes kids to lose a connection to their parents It may be true to a degree that children who attend daycare are a little less dependent on their parents, but it's actually a good thing for a child to not be incredibly attached to their parents for a long time (unless the parent plans on hovering over their child for the rest of their life). Attending daycare doesn't degrade the quality of relationship between a child and parent. It's still on the parent to make the time they do have together count.
Misconception #2: Daycare leads to behavioral problems through learned bad habits Many parents think that a child who goes to daycare will pick up bad habits from other children, whereas children who aren't exposed to the "bad" kids will remain perfect little angels. But the truth is, a high quality daycare keeps a child engaged and actually promotes good habits that are hard for parents to replicate at home (especially how to interact with other children). And kids do eventually have to be around others at some point, so it's best to get them exposed early while they're still forming a lot of their habits.
Misconception #3: Daycare food isn't nutritious Since parents aren't at a daycare to see what their child is eating, it might be easy to assume that their child isn't eating healthy. But the vast majority of daycare centers have specially developed menus, and try to take all dietary considerations into account. Very few daycare centers actually take a "one size fits all" approach to food. It's also quite common for parents to send their own food to daycare with their child.
For some people, daycare is an absolute must because of jobs or other conditions; for some it's a great way to socialize a child and get them used to a structured setting before they're old enough for school. Either way, if you're thinking about choosing a daycare for your child, know that you're not alone (nearly 25% of kids spend the majority of their time at a daycare), and know that it's not going to be as bad as some parents might make you think. In fact for many parents, daycare at a place like Advantage Learning Center is the best choice they ever made.