When Divorce Forces the Stay at Home Mom to Choose Daycare

When Divorce Forces the Stay at Home Mom to Choose Daycare

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min 13 sec

There has been a great deal of research demonstrating that high quality daycare is beneficial to children's emotional and intellectual development.

1. Language and cognitive development: Studies have found that children in higher quality childcare tend to have better language and cognitive development during the first 4.5 years. This advantage has been shown to extend all the way up to the child's 15th birthday.

2. Your child will learn to be more social: Little children that attend daycare develop group-oriented skills at a younger age. These types of relationship skills are the building blocks, many people say, of a good life. This can make it an easier transition when they become school age.

3. Cheerful environment: If you are struggling with emotional problems as a result of your divorce, or have depression, sending your child to daycare can be a good thing. Childcare allows your little one to spend time in a consistently colorful and upbeat environment.

4. Academic readiness: Kids in daycare are introduced to the basics of science, math, social studies, various languages, and communication skills. A lot of pre-schoolers love this stimulation. Some people even think that this early introduction to "school" helps bring about a lifetime love for learning.

5. Kids are never bored: Kids can become bored and unstimulated at home. In a childcare setting, there are always things to do and kids to interact with.

6. Better behavior: Kids in daycare learn how to share, solve problems, and be team players. They learn how to use their voice in a positive way and be advocates for themselves and others.

7. A more relaxed mom: Being a stay at home mom can lead to feelings of isolation and depression. Getting back into the workforce, and spending much of the day with adults, can open the mind and help you feel less lonely. Often times, working moms treasure and appreciate the time that they have with their children and are refreshed and excited to spend the evening with their child after work.

8. A good role model for children: Working mothers are good role models for their children. They demonstrate independence and more egalitarian parental gender roles.

CONCLUSION

Great parenting is great parenting. Provide a secure, loving, consistent and stimulating environment for your children and they will thrive. Choose your daycare provider carefully and all will be well... as long as you work on yourself to accept this new reality.

Whether your children are in daycare or not, you will still be the biggest influence over their life. If your children feel secure with you, then they will feel secure in themselves. This is true whether you are a working mom or stay at home mom.

If you have to go back to work, and enroll your children in daycare, everyone will be fine. If you can find a quality facility, your kid's lives may be enhanced in ways beyond your imagination!