Daycare Sterotype

I came across a comment on another blog recently. The commenter had a view that mothers should not work and that daycares do not love children.

As hard as it is sometimes, I try to respect that people can have different opinions then me. I'm fine with the commenter believing mothers should not work. Obviously, I don't share her opinion. But what sparked my attention is the statement that daycares do not love children. There are many stereotypes about daycares that aren't fully true. I will address some here.

(1) Stereotype: Daycares do not love children
Most people google over children. When out in public strangers will smile, talk, or even play games like peek-a-boo with my daughter. I myself light up when I see a little kid doing something cute. People love babies and little kids. How could you not? And daycare workers especially do. They choose their profession and I doubt its because of the pay. People choose to work in early child care development because they care! With my daycare, the owner treats the kids as if they were her own. The workers are always asking Teagan for hugs and kisses, and tell her kind words. I found this stereotype to be ridiculous.
Fact: Daycares LOVE children

(2) Stereotype: Anytime your child is sick is because of daycare
Illness can spread in daycare, just like work, or any facility where people are in close contact to each other. No doubt that some of Teagan's colds came from daycare. But just because she's sick doesn't mean that evil daycare did it every time. She got her first cold at 7 weeks old while I was on maternity leave and stayed inside the house. Children come in a lot of contact of people and germs at daycare, at home when people visit, at the grocery store, at parks, at friends/realtives houses, etc. I know stay at home kids that get sick too.  To make the comment to a working parent that their child became sick at daycare is not fair. We carry some degree of guilt for working. To say our choices are making our kids sick is bothersome. Why do people feel they need to blame how the child got sick? Does it matter? You never hear someone saying to a stay at home mom that their child is sick because they're not exposed enough.
Fact: Kids get sick from ANYWHERE.

(3) Stereotype: All bad behavior is learn from daycare
I have heard people say whenever my daughter shows a negative behavior that she has learned it from daycare. Again, the blame game is played. I ask once more, why? Did you have a hidden camera at the daycare to know this? Children are sponges. They pick up on everything. My daughter one day found a Q-tip and put it in her ear. I have never Q-tip-ed her ears. She must have seen me or her daddy do it ourselves. Adults can have outbursts or show anger or sadness. Our little sponges pick up on this. Who knows where a child learns something. Instead of blaming, lets think of something constructive together to solve the problem.
Fact: Kids are always watching and learning and imitating EVERYWHERE.


You know you're a ftwm when....a sick day when your kid is sick is nothing like a sick day when you are sick (instead of pjs and laying on the couch, you get crabby baby - fun!).