Putting Your Child into Child Care
Not every parent finds it easy to decide to put their children into child care. Often, people struggle with knowing when the right time is, what the benefits will be and whether it’s the right call to make. If you’re on the fence about whether child care is a good option for your family, then these benefits below may help you decide.
Developing Social Skills
While having your children at home with you is going to be rewarding in many ways, it doesn’t help them to broaden their horizons and learn vital social skills. When you enrol your children in day care, they learn how to interact with other children and adults, and enjoy education and fun in a safe and supervised environment.
While you might think social skills extend to children playing with each other, it goes far deeper than that. When you put your child into child care, they learn how to share, play well together, and problem-solve. These are all necessary life skills.
Get Back into The Workforce
The thought of going back to work after extended maternity leave or several months off is hard. It feels like you’ve only just adjusted to parent life and then you’re thrust back into the role of a worker as well as a mother. However, getting back into the workforce is beneficial – even if it doesn’t seem like it is in the beginning.
You can have adult conversations again, pick up your own social life, and earn money as well. A single-income household can put a strain on families, so that second income is sure to be very much welcomed.
Regular Routine
When you look after your children at home, they benefit from being able to play with their toys whenever they like and do different things every day. However, children benefit from structure as much as they benefit from doing things on a whim. When you enrol in child care, your children will soon learn that at a particular time of day, they have to get dressed, eat their breakfast, then get in the car. Then, at another time of the day, they get to come home, eat their dinner, and go to bed. Structure and routine can be beneficial for later in life.
Academic Advancement
Studies by the United States Institute of Health show that children who attended high-quality child care facilities had better academic achievements and better cognitive abilities than those who didn’t attend at all. In fact, out of over 1,300 children involved in the extensive study, 90 percent of high-achievers were in a child care facility before they turned four.
Ultimately, it’s your decision as a parent as to whether you wish your child to go into child care or not. However, if you decide you would like to look at a facility, you are spoilt for choice.