11 Reasons that Daycare is Awesome
Back in April of this year, we decided to pull Harrison from our one-on-one nanny and put him into a daycare center.
I had many of the standard fears regarding daycare centers. Would he settle in? Would he like his teachers? Would his teachers be nice and competent? Would he get sick? What would I do if he hated it?
Thankfully, we have had nothing but a wonderful experience with daycare so far. Yes, there are sniffles and that can cause drama over who stays home with the sick kid. But his vocabulary has exploded along with his confidence and play. He’s made fantastic new friends, and I never worry when I drop him off in the morning. I know he’s in great hands, and I will hear all about his fun day when I pick him up in the evening.
Here are other reasons that daycare farts cupcake unicorn sprinkles for toddlers:
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She eats better
Sitting at a table with little friends, there is no refusing food without going hungry the rest of the day. This means she'll eat more, eat better, and will be introduced to new foods.
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Growing independence
He washes his hands, puts on his shoes and socks, potties, and puts on his jacket, all by himself. These are skills that both teachers and peer guidance helped him learn quickly!
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She learns to take a turn
She has to raise her hand in circle time and wait in line ... learning that it's not about instant gratification is an excellent life skill.
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The teacher-child relationship
His wonderful teachers give him two more adults that he adores and trusts, that help guide him through life. It's also great for me to have folks that I trust to watch him and report back to me on everything he does that day.
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Getting ready for real school
He learns to interact with his peers, his elders, and in a "school setting." By the time he gets to kindergarten, he will be well-adjusted to a classroom schedule, including lunch at a table with friends and taking a nap on a mat.
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Making momma friends
Make friends with the other moms in your kid's class for working mom support and ideas. Hang out on the weekends!
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Way better art class
Momma's version of art is markers and playdoh. Maybe. Teachers bring in scissors, glue, paint, and all the fun messy stuff. He creates way more at daycare than he did at home!
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They're hands-on all the time
Science, foreign language, yoga poses, songs, dancing ... they do it all. Which means there's no television, no boring errands to run with mom, and no momma losing her temper.
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Learning to play
You'll probably find his imagination take off, along with role playing and interactive play, instead of parallel play. The teachers do a great job of including the entire class in structured play.
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He meets his best friends
They play together on the weekends, and he chatters the whole way home about he played trucks with one little boy, then went sliding with another. (See also: far more birthday party invitations!)
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The end of the day
There is NOTHING better than seeing your kid run straight for you with a big smile on his face, yelling "MOMMY!!!" Best part of my day.
Photo Credits: iStock and yours truly
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Beth Anne writes words & takes pictures on The Heir to Blair. You can also find her on theTwitters & Facebook.
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All of these reasons are exactly why we enrolled our 3 yr old in preschool this year! My parents watch our girls when we are at work (which is awesome) but we wanted our 3 yr old to interact with other kids in a “school-like” setting. She goes 2 mornings a week & she loves it!!!
Seems all I hear about these days is how working moms let someone “else” raise their children when they go to daycare. Sure SAHM’s can do many enriching activities on their own, but how many actually do vs tv and solo time all day (like my SAHM friends do).
My little man was at a daycare center from 4 months – 2 years and has recently switched to more of a preschool setting. I agree with all your points – especially eating. I’ve had days where I pull the “seriously, you sure you watched him??” on the eating veggies front. He does when all his buddies do! I will say that next time around, I’d like to find a way not to put LO in daycare until they are at least 6 months.
Great article BA – what a refreshing take to hear the benefits of daycare!
I love our daycare. Our son has been there since he was 12 weeks old and is not 3.5. I love that the teachers know what to teach him. I have no idea at times what he needs to know or can learn at certain ages. He always amazes me. So far he has surprised me with using sign language before he could speak, knowing his first and last name, using scissors, and counting in Spanish. Love it!