If you have an only child, you may be wondering if it’s worth it to send them to daycare—especially if you’re a stay-at-home parent, or have a family member who can watch them. Why bother if you have the capacity to look after them? After all, what’s better than the constant company of mom, dad, or the grandparents?
However, despite your employment status or the availability of help, it’s still worthwhile to enroll your little one. Daycare can help your child reach a number of developmental, emotional, and physical milestones they may struggle to reach at home, particularly if they’re the only child in the household. Read on to learn about the many benefits daycare can provide your only child (and you).
6 Benefits of Enrolling Your Only Child in Daycare
Helps With Socialization
It’s important for children (Yes, even young ones!) to socialize with their peers. For only children without siblings, this may not always be easy to do. Studies have found that while having siblings is not indicative of whether or not your child will develop good social skills, the quality and frequency of a child’s social interactions are.
That means your child doesn’t need to have siblings, but does need to be around other kids. And while you can try to organize play dates or bring them to the park (hoping other children their age show up) at daycare, you can relax knowing that they’re having high-quality social interactions every time they go. Daycare classes are broken up by age groups and prioritize group time, outdoor play, and games. That means they’ll get to spend their day socializing and developing important interpersonal skills they may not get at home.
Teaches Them to Share
The stereotype that only children are bad at sharing isn’t true—most young children are bad at sharing. Sharing toys or taking turns requires complex social, emotional, and other-perspective-taking skills that often need years of practice to develop. It’s normal, and part of growing up!
So while it is still entirely possible your only child can learn these things at home, putting them in daycare creates more opportunities to put these skills to the test. Children often learn by watching and replicating, and at daycare, they’ll be constantly witnessing others sharing as well as trying it firsthand.
Encourages Independence
Your only child is probably used to seeing mom or dad the majority of the day, and as a result, may develop a strong attachment. While that’s completely normal—children are wired to form strong bonds with their parents, who usually represent a safe and loving base—it’s still important for them to grow their independence.
At home, your only child may not have many examples of independent children; there is no older brother or sister for them to look up to. At daycare, your little one will work on growing their independence alongside other children who are going through the same thing. They’ll learn to follow a routine, make their own choices about activities, take responsibility for their actions, and clean up after themselves.
Prevents Boredom
Did you know that only children are more likely to develop self-entertainment skills? While this is a good thing, it doesn’t mean they’re not prone to boredom (most children are), especially when there’s no one to play with in the house. And as the parent or caretaker, you only have so much time every day to dedicate to coloring or building Legos. It’s a struggle between prioritizing your time without leaving your child to constantly fend for themself.
If you enroll your child in daycare, they’ll be engaged and entertained from the start of the day to the very end. For example, at Cornerstone Academy, we play games, do crafts, sing songs, read books, and have outside time. We do activities that may be hard to do at home, such as messy finger painting. If your child is old enough, we also take field trips around Racine, Wisconsin. There’s so much fun to be had, you’ll never hear the dreaded, “I’m bored,” again!
Helps with Loneliness
Only children aren’t destined to be lonely. According to Susan Newman, a social psychologist and parenting expert, loneliness is about a lack of connection, not a lack of exposure to others. So just because only children may spend more time alone, doesn’t mean they’re lonely—as long as they’re still given opportunities to develop deep interpersonal relationships. This is where daycare comes in.
At daycare, your child has the opportunity to bond not only with other kids their age, but also with their daycare teachers. They’ll forge deep friendships that will help them feel less lonely and more connected to others. Unsure if your child is lonely? Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Disruptive behaviors
- Clinginess
- Loss of appetite
- Lack of concentration
You Get a Break
Just because you only have one child doesn’t mean you, the parent, don’t deserve a break. Raising young children can be challenging, regardless of how many you have, and can often lead to parental burnout. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 48% of parents reported that most days, their stress was “completely overwhelming.”
Enrolling your child in daycare gives you some time back to catch up on errands, do some cleaning, or simply sit back and relax–even if it’s only for two half days a week. (At Cornerstone Academy, we have lots of flexible daycare enrollment options to explore!) This means you’ll have the energy to be a more involved and present parent when your child is home.
Interested in Enrolling Your Only Child in Daycare?
If you’re the parent of an only child and are interested in exploring daycare options for them, contact us today! We’re happy to schedule a tour of the facility or answer any questions. We offer both full-time and part-time enrollment options, and specialize in social and language development through art, movement, imagination, and (most importantly) play time!
