I agree with megabear. A newborn needs to be at home with their mother, not with anybody else.
Children benefit greatly when they are able to be in the care of their mother while they are little versus being in a daycare for 8-10 hours a day. Daycares are germ mills. Working paretns are forced to leave their kids when they are sick, because when you are working you can’t take off a week just because your child has a cold. Thus, there are always several kids there with colds, runny noses, headaches, etc. Daycare workers and preschool employees are constantly wiping down the toys and surfaces with an alcohol-water solution. A child in a room full of kids will never get the same care they can get in the care of a loving mother.
I’d say if a parent HAS to work when her children are young, a capable grandmother would be the next best choice, then a responsible close relative.
svelte: Having a mom work outside the home isn’t selfish and doesn’t deprive the child of anything. Robyn’s song understands this – I can tell by her comment about her child being in a learning environment while she works (as opposed to being at home watching mommy clean and run errands). That is the same thing we did – there were many afternoons I would go to pick the kids up from pre-school and they didn’t want to go yet! They were having too much fun with their buds.
The mother is the “master” teacher of her children. When a child is at home with the mother, the type of environment they are in is what she makes of it. While my children were at home with me, we watched educational programs on t.v, visited museums, zoos, parks, and other places where they had a plethora of opportunities to learn. When it was time to interact with other children, playdates with children of family and friends were easily arranged. Fresh air and exercise was right outside the front door.
If a woman has to work or chooses to work, then that’s how it has to be and I don’t knock anyone’s choices. In that case, being diligent in choosing the very best day care you can afford is very important. However, imo, during the early years, being at home with mom is best for the child.
P.S. And I cannot believe this thread has reached 8 pages! 🙂
