In the nursery or at home? What is the best option for your children

At the moment, Maternity and paternity leave in Spain is 16 weeks. This means that, just a few months after birth, parents are already faced with a complicated dilemma regarding the best option for caring for their little one: in daycare or at home? Opinions may be divided and there may be strong arguments in favor of one or the other. For this reason, it is interesting to analyze the research in this regard.

There are those who think that the home is the best environment as a basis for child development during the first years, since it fosters a healthy attachment bond with parents. On the other hand, there are those who suggest that daycare offers greater opportunities for socialization that can have a positive impact. If you don’t know which option to choose, we show you some ideas about it.

In the nursery or at home?

This doubt arises mainly in those homes in which there is a real possibility of choosing, in which one of the parents can afford to stop working to devote themselves to child care. Even in these cases, the idea of ​​going to a daycare is raised, thus facilitating interaction with other children and advice or guidance from qualified professionals.

The dilemma is different when there is an economic need that must be covered. In these cases, the options that parents can consider are home care by a family member or having the child attend daycare.

So what is the best option? To answer this question, we can turn to one of the largest investigations carried out on the matter. The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development followed more than 1,000 children from the first month of life to four years of age. The objective was to analyze how different types of care (at home or in daycare) impacted the cognitive, social and psychological development of the children. And the results yielded interesting data.

Children start playing social games from the age of 3.

Socialization with peers at very early ages

Meeting the need to socialize with other children is the main argument in favor of daycare centers. However, although school is a very socially enriching environment for children, if we talk about the first years of life, this is different.

Social and participatory games do not begin until approximately three years of age., in which the child can be aware of himself and his roles, exercise empathy and interact with other children. Therefore, until this moment, the priority is the attachment bond with primary caregivers (usually parents). Thus, the true need at these early ages is to generate a close and intimate connection and relate to a caregiver who provides affection and security.

In the aforementioned study it was found that children who attended daycare showed more behavioral problems (aggressiveness, rebellion, competitiveness…) and were less cooperative than those raised at home. A reality that was accentuated the more hours the infant spent in daycare and the lower its quality.

The primary attachment bond

It has been demonstrated on multiple occasions that The relationship with the mother (or the primary attachment figure) is the factor that can most help development emotional, social and intellectual of the child. The best scores were obtained by those infants who had sensitive caregivers who provided emotional support and were consistent in their care.

That is to say, What a baby requires is that the adult interact with him and respond to his emissions and called, who knows how to take care of their physical and emotional needs and helps the little one regulate themselves. It is this that provides the much-needed feeling of security. And, although the workers at a children’s center have the best disposition, they cannot always achieve it, since the ratio of children to be cared for is much higher than their capabilities.

The importance of parenting

On the other hand, the study points out that it is not necessarily the type of care received that has the most impact on the child’s development, but rather the parenting style and the family environment. Parental characteristics and family dynamics were shown to be more related with correct development than going to daycare or staying at home.

When parents had more education and higher incomes, when they offered stimulating environments and emotional support, child development was better in all cases. Likewise, a positive family environment, with adequate routines and that provides the child with sufficient experiences, is key for correct growth in all areas, regardless of the type of care (home or daycare).

The psychological state of the mother

A key point to consider is that the attachment bond with the mother and the quality of parenting and the family environment is what has the most impact on child well-being. And although home care encourages the development of these factors, this is not always the case.

In the investigation it was observed that low levels of maternal stress, the mother’s psychological health and her ability to provide appropriate cares are fundamental. And, in some cases, staying home and being a full-time mother and caregiver does not benefit these aspects.

If the mother feels overwhelmed, exhausted and dissatisfied, she will not be able to offer the feedback appropriate for the baby. On the other hand, if when you go out to work you feel fulfilled, happy and less stressed, you will be in better conditions to raise and create a secure attachment.

The bond with the mother is the factor that most contributes to child well-being.

Quality care: the key to child well-being

From the research we obtain several important clues. First of all, that Socialization with peers is not as necessary for a child under three years of age as it is to have frequent contact with a sensitive and consistent caregiver.. In this regard, home care provided by the mother or father is proposed as the best option.

However, An infant who receives quality care in a daycare can obtain the same benefits and good results. To achieve this, it is essential that the ratio of babies to each early childhood educator is as low as possible, and that this caregiver is sensitive, empathetic, attentive and capable of adequately stimulating the baby.

The care carried out in Daycare can be a great option if, and only if, the baby finds those conditions necessary. to bond positively with the caregiver and receive the attention, response and emotional support they need. Therefore, if you choose this alternative for your children, it is crucial to ensure that the center truly offers quality care and is sensitive to the children’s needs of these early ages.

You might be interested…