The Pros or Cons of Sending 3-Month-Old Infants to Daycare

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Are you a working parent? Many parents are always torn up, because they are usually forced to make a choice between work and childcare. That is, unless they can afford to hire a full-time nanny or live in a state that legally mandates childcare for infants. Mostly, maternity leave is limited to 12-16 weeks, and this forces parents to make a choice.

So, What are the pros or cons of sending 3-month-old infants to daycare? There are lots of pros, but there are also cons. Taking your kid to daycare will allow you to go to work, gives you peace of mind, and allows him to socialize with other kids. However, there are many cons too like, the child does not get enough time to know you better and bond with you. Of course, it depends on a lot of factors like the age of the child, their personality, and their likes. Let us have a close look at these pros and cons

PROS:

i. Allows you to work

Taking your kid to daycare will allow you to go to work. If you are a working parent, then daycare will give you a lot of flexibility. You do not have to worry about the timing of the babysitter’s shift or your kid’s bedtime routines because you can make all those adjustments once you reach home. The child will be taken care of by a qualified caregiver. You will not be worried about when your child will have his next feeding and all his other basic needs will be taken care of.

ii. Peace of mind

There are some parents who feel worried if they leave their infant at home while they go to work. They will feel more relieved once they start taking their kid to daycare. You will not be worried about your kid for the first time. You know that he is in the hands of a qualified professional, so you can be confident about leaving him at home.

iii. Socialization

Kids who go to daycare don’t feel like they are missing out on anything since they are able to have fun and learn at the same time. Daycare playgroups will allow your child to interact with other kids and he will be able to make new friends. Also, kids who go to daycare can have fun with their caregivers and their playmates. He will be able to learn and interact with other children through these groups. This will allow them to develop socially as well as educationally.

iv. They’ll get motivated

Infants are highly dependent on their parents and they can play a very important role in your child’s life. However, going to daycare will also help your child and let him be independent. Taking your kid to daycare will motivate him to do things on his own. Also, it will make him responsible for other kids as well.

v. Exposes him or her to a school-like environment

Kids who attend daycare learn how to behave and interact with other kids and their caretakers as well. Schools usually implement a reward system to encourage their kid to follow the rules. This will help your kid to become responsible and behave. By taking your kid to daycare, he will learn how to behave and how to follow rules.

vi. They engage in interactive learning

Teaching your kid at home is different from taking him or her to daycare. In daycare, your kid will be able to learn from their respective playgroups. This allows them to enhance their social skills, language development, and motor, and cognitive skills. They will also be able to learn how to get along with other kids.

vii. It is a fun place

Kids who are taken care of at daycare will be able to learn a lot and they will also have fun. Taking your kid to daycare will allow him or her to make new friends. When children are together at daycare, they will be able to interact with their caretakers and other children and they will get to know each other. This allows your child to interact with others in a controlled environment.

CONS:

i. Too much interaction can be harmful

The most obvious con is that kids don’t know how to express their feeling and emotions. They might be very shy and they will not have the skills to get along with other kids. They are usually too young to develop those skills. However, they should be exposed to different kids and their environments. Children learn through what they see, and according to Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, people can learn new skills and behaviors through their interactions with other people. But too much of such exposure can be harmful for the child.

ii. The child may get exposed to diseases

A 3-month-old child is highly susceptible to any disease because they are not strong enough to resist a particular infection. The child is not fully developed and all the organs have not completed their development. So, taking them to daycare can put them in a position where they can contract any disease easily. When there is interaction from one child to another and there is food around, you can be sure that some infections will spread around. So, always take special care of your baby and make sure that he or she does not get affected by any infection.

iii. The child gets a feeling of abandonment

If the child is taken to daycare at a very young age, then he or she might feel like they are separated from their parents. The kid can get an impression that you don’t love them enough and you don’t care about them. So, make sure that you spend time with them and give them quality time.

By taking your kid to daycare, you understand that he or she is safe and secure and you won’t feel like something is missing. Before taking your kid to daycare, it is important that you get a good understanding of daycare. This will help you make this decision in the best way possible. Make sure that the daycare you take your kid to is of high quality and at the same time make sure that you have your priorities straight.