Baby Safety Zone - Day Care

Day Care

With most parents returning to work before their children hit preschool, day care is the most popular choice for parents nowadays. However, deciding what type of daycare would best suit your child can be a challenge. Day care safety has to be at the top of any checklist when choosing a day care facility. (Day care can mean taking your child or children to a care giver's home or taking them to a day care center.)

The Pros of Day Care

Your child can socialize with children of their own age. Mixing with other children can help your child learn social skills. Physically your child may improve coordination and motor skills.
Your child will have lots of visual stimulation which can aid in their development.
Your child will be in a safe and secure enviroment.
Your child will have fun!
There are lots of resources out there to help you choose an appropriate facility for your child. You can visit the day care centers and talk to other parents as well as read reviews and other literature.

The Cons of Day Care

If you choose to take your child to the care giver's home, it is hard to know the exact type of care your child is getting. What may appear to be a safe and fun enviroment for your child may change the minute you step out of the door. Some child carers take on too many children to handle at the same time and this could endanger your child. There have been horror stories of mistreatment and fatal accidents occurring in carers homes.
Some parents are not keen to leave there infants in the care of teenagers or young adults. Care assistants in day care centers receive a pretty measly salary and the turnover of staff can be high. This means that your child's bonds could be broken and disrupted with his/her care givers.
Some argue that in a baby's first few months of life , they need to be cared for by one or two individuals and being passed around between care givers does not provide the special one on one attention your baby needs.
Many parents don't like the idea of their child being 'institutionalized'. They feel that leaving the warm and comfortable enviroment of the home and taking them to a center will hamper their development, and take away from their individuality.

Choosing the right child care falls ultimately on the parents' shoulders. There are lots of great day care centers out there, so it is important to choose one the you feel comfortable and happy with and that you support in terms of discipline and the type of care and education offered. All of these things are important when it comes to evaluating day care.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of your child attending day care you may want to opt for your child to go part-time to start with. Alternatively you could look into hiring a nanny or giving up work to stay at home with your child.

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