The topic of daycare is something many parents can struggle with. While you’re at work, what is the best decision for where your children should go?
Some families have the great support of grandparents to help watch over their children, but other families may not have this option. According to Child Care Aware of America, more than 12 million children younger than 5 are in some type of child care in the United States.
Although many of us have seen a shift in flexible working schedules, there are many benefits of daycare for both children and parents.
Benefits of Daycare for Children
One of the trickier considerations for daycare is deciding when parents should sign up their young children. Here at Cornerstone Academy, we are prepared to take children as young as six weeks old. Now, while many parents may feel that is too young for someone else to attend to their children, we believe there are great benefits to starting children young in daycare.
Daycare provides a safe, state-regulated, and nurturing environment. Here are some benefits of daycare for children:
- Children can interact with others their age, learn new skills, and develop social skills that will help them succeed in school and in life. Attending pre-schools or daycare centers helps children become more academically, socially, and emotionally ready for school.
- Daycare is a great way for kids to get the social interaction they need with many other diverse kids. Children who attend daycare tend to be more confident and outgoing than those who do not attend. This is also a great way for them to make new friends.
- Children who attend daycare may develop better language skills than those who do not because they learn how to communicate with other kids through playtime activities such as arts and crafts or reading books together in group activities.
- Daycare can help children develop a sense of independence, which helps them later in life when they need to start doing things separately from their guardians.
- Daycare is a state-regulated place where strict rules and regulations are followed for the safety of your children. You can rest assured that your children are our priority in our care.
Benefits of Daycare for Parents
For parents, daycare is a lifesaver. Many parents choose daycare because they want the freedom to work and earn money without having to worry about where to leave their children. There are benefits of daycare that exclusively affect parents. Here are some benefits of daycare for parents:
- Parents can work more hours during the week and on weekends without worrying about their child’s safety or well-being. It gives them the peace of mind they need while they are at work or school. Even working-from-home parents could use a break from children, what better way than for them to interact with other children in a safe environment?
- Daycare also allows parents to go back to school or get a job that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do if they had to stay home with their children all day every day.
- There are plenty of toys, books, crafts, and other recreational activities that your child might not have access to at home. Having them at daycare will help them explore new things and maybe even look forward to going to daycare more often.
- Most daycare facilities provide meals, snacks, and nap time for kids so parents don’t have to worry about packing lunches or prepping food. Of course, if your child has dietary restrictions or allergies, make a note to their caretakers and provide them with food options they can eat.
- Although daycare can be an added expense, it is the cheapest option when it comes to nannying or babysitting.
There are many benefits of daycare for both parents and children. We know it can be a bit overwhelming to decide where or if your child should enroll in a daycare program but hopefully these benefits start to put those questions to ease. If you are looking for more answers or a daycare in the Kenosha area, check out Cornerstone Academy!