Is it harmful for children to be in day-care centers all day?

            Daycares are often depicted as these horrible places where children are neglected all day in a Petri dish of disease infestation. There are always advantages and disadvantages to everything, but people need to weigh their options objectively when making these important decisions. I think the advantages to a child’s future should be the deciding factor when choosing whether or not to put a child in daycare.

BabyCenter.com says, “Staff members at good centers are usually trained in early childhood education so they know what to expect from your child developmentally and are able to nurture his growing skills accordingly” (BabyCenter.com). They go on to say, “Good daycare centers include a nice mix of activities during the day to teach different skills, such as singing, dancing, and storytelling”. Children that attend quality daycare centers typically have and academic edge over other children as well as advanced social skills for their age.

It’s true that daycare babies get sick more than other kids, but that isn’t the whole story. Denise Mann says “Babies who attend large-group child-care centers before they are 2 1/2 years of age do get more respiratory and ear infections than those cared for at home, but they are less likely to come down with these ailments once they start elementary [school]” (Health.com). They continue to say “There may exist a window of opportunity for toddlers to build up their immunity early. Those who attended large day-care centers after age 2 1/2 did not receive the same protection against illness during their elementary school years as their counterparts who started group day care at younger [ages]” (Health.com).

            Daycares can be very advantageous to a child’s future and should be considered a great opportunity when raising a child. In my opinion, people need to put the minor disadvantages aside, and act in the interest of their child.

Work Cited

Baby Center < http://www.babycenter.com/0_daycare-centers-advantages-and-disadvantages_6050.bc > 26 Feb. 2011

Mann, Denise. “Day-Care Babies Have More Infections Now, Fewer Later”. 10 Dec. 2011. Health.com. 26 Feb. 2011 < http://news.health.com/2010/12/10/day-care-babies-infections/ >