We've talked a little bit about the big issue of childcare vs stay-at-home-mum care in a previous post (you can read it here). The general consensus seemed to be that there is no right answer when it comes to the question of what kind of care is best for an individual child - what suits one family may not suit another. You were very firm on the need for women to support each other in their choices, whatever they may be.Well, new research has backed up our intelligent opinions, as Babblebaby recently found out. In their interview with Dr. Penelope Leach, author of a new book on child care of all kinds, they find that “the quality of care matters much more than the kind of care.”
I urge you to read the article - it's an interesting introduction to one of the few books which doesn't continue the polarisation of working women and stay-at-home mums. Let's hope it's the start of a new, more accepting approach to the childcare debate.
6 comments:
being a diploma qualified child care worker and am still studying away for my bachelor of early education now - for my research paper two years ago, i conducted a study of whether children under the age of three should be in care for extensive periods of time.
more recently research has been conducted on the cortisol levels in infants that attend care and these levels are only seen to rise when the care the children are receiving isnt quality.
no matter how many hours your child is in care it is the quality of the care that matters.
you may all breathe a sigh of relief but wait theres more - child care centres - not all but most - when they are being accredited by QIAS [which is where they get whether they are high quality care, good quality or satisfactory - if your centre is accredited it SHOULD be displayed for you as parents to see]. the problem with QIAS even though it is national throughout Aust. there is no standard of quality that is defined. as long as you check of the points and these can be seen by the accreditors you will receive whichever quality rating. that isnt the only flaw the other is that some centres perform for these accreditors iv seen it done many times.
phew. that was long. but i am so passionate when it comes to child care and these type of debates iv written a similar blog myself a few weeks ago.
personally id love to stay at home with my children [when i have them] for as long as possible. seeing those milestones first hand is just magic. but i dont judge people that need to work or want to go back to work.
sorry to take up so much space bugmum.
Thanks carly-grace - I sit on the Parents Committee at Olivia's childcare centre, do their newsletter and try to be as involved as I possibly can be to make sure her experience (and indeed, other kids and parents') is as positive as possible.
I feel very fortunate that we have found a centre that truly cares about providing quality care and early education - I know other parents haven't been as lucky.
I don't understand how people can't see both sides of this topic. It's kind of ridiculous.
There is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to raising your kids. Whether you're a SAHM, WAHM or WAOM (work at office mum) you can only try and do you what's best for your kids. For some childcare is their best option and for others like me, staying at home and looking after them at least until after the youngest one starts starts school is the more practical option. The costs of childcare for the baby, before and after school care for the others would just eat away most of my earnings. But I am definitely looking forward to the day that I go back to work and pursue my career or maybe even start a new one. And I think my kids would want their mum to do just that. Maybe just maybe a mum can have it all...just not all at the same time.
I don't understand why there is even a debate. I am lucky enough to be able to stay home with the dude. That was our choice. There are those that aren't able to do so or don't want to. As long as you seek out quality care for your child, it's whatever is best for your family.
Sorry I haven't commented in ages, sometimes the page doesn't load up for me (it happens with a few blogs on here) even though I wanted to comment on Rob Pattinson and be the ONLY one sticking up for him and his gorgeousness. The man is LOVE-ERLY. :) Love him.
And also with Gwen dying and cutting her son's hair like that...I agree with you - what on earth? I know that Angelina and Brad have Maddox's hair looking like a punk rocker but he's a bit older. Maybe it's a celebrity thing and we're just not cool enough. That's probably it!! :)
Now on this childcare debate..all my kids are out of childcare now since they are too old for it but I used it a lot when they were little. I remember feeling like there were not a whole lot of choices out there for women and their children especially if money was a factor. And the guilt of putting them in... my youngest was in daycare from 2 months of age, just two times a week when I went back to my uni course, but it was very much a time of anxiousness. I felt so happy to be able to go to uni and do my own adult thing coupled with immense guilt and questioning was I selfish?
Guilt...always guilt. Does it ever leave us as Mothers? No, I don't think it does...I don't use childcare anymore but I still find plenty to feel guilty about!
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