Reasons To Put Your Child In Daycare Instead Of Arrange Care From A Family Member

Parents with daycare-aged children will often have to choose between sending their children to daycare or having a family member such as a grandparent provide this service. There are certainly advantages to having a family member step in, including no cost to you and a familiarity between the family member and your child. However, even if you're considering going in this direction, you should evaluate the many reasons that enrolling your child in an actual daycare program is a good idea. Here are some of those factors to consider.

It Helps Your Child Get Outside Of His/Her Comfort Zone

Many children transition into daycare seamlessly, but others have trouble with this big change. If you have a child who is unsure of new environments and perhaps gets homesick when you're not around, you may feel as though your child may struggle with the adjustment of going to daycare. In this scenario, it's easy to assume that your child will be better off with a family member. However, it's good to occasionally put your children outside their comfort zones. Soon enough, your child will be heading off to school, and he or she has already been through daycare, school won't seem as daunting.

The Child Won't Get Bored

Family members may have the best of intentions when it comes to looking after your child, but it's unlikely that they'll be as prepared as a daycare operator. Children often have short attention spans, which means that a successful daycare has a multitude of solo and group activities for the children to enjoy throughout the day. Your family member probable isn't developing a comprehensive daily agenda for your child, which can leave him or her bored — and perhaps put in front of the television to keep entertained.

A Chance To Interact With Other Kids

Daycare is a valuable opportunity for your child to not only make friends, but also learn the many lessons that come from being around peers throughout the day. Things such as sharing, taking turns, and other valuable lessons that your child will need to know by the time he or she begins school can all be learned in daycare. If you were to arrange care from a family member, your child wouldn't have this opportunity. Much of the time, the child wouldn't be exposed to other children his or her age, which won't help your child's development in the same manner as going to a daycare center.

For more information, contact companies like Cornerstone Daycare Learning Center.


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