by Rhonda Twitty

Created on: January 18, 2009

Putting your child in a daycare can be a very hard decision for parents. There has been a debate for years about moms staying home to take care of the kids. I am a mom of 4 children and I have experience on both sides of this issue. So, I am going to share my opinion about the value of childcare vs the value of mom being at home.

When my first son was born, I put him in daycare and went back to work. There were some advantages for my son attending daycare. One thing was that he got socialization skills that helped him when he started kindergarten. It was also good for me to get some adult interaction every day instead of being home and watch ETV with him. Another advantage for my child in daycare was the preschool curriculum that helped him with some skills that got him ready for kindergarten. The downside was the fact of him being exposed to so many viruses and colds which in turn affected my attendance at work. Another negative of childcare was that I felt like I didn't have much quality time with my child. I was spending most of my free time cleaning and getting ready for the next day.

I became a stay at home mom in 1999 when my twin boys were born. When the boys were 10 weeks old, I tried to go back to work but physically I couldn't keep up that pace. Getting no sleep and trying to work all day, plus exposing the twins to viruses and cold was not working. The twins seemed to catch everything that went around. My husband and I decided that it was in the best interest of the children that I stay at home with them. Now that didn't stop them from catching cold and being exposed to viruses but it certainly made my life a little bit simpler. Financially things were harder without my income but the kids were happy and healthier.

Putting your child in daycare may not be an option for some families. With today's economy a lot of families have to have two incomes. You can rest assured that putting your child in daycare will not harm him/her. Your child will have fun and yes learn some skills that will help him/her in school. So don't feel guilty about not being a stay at home mom. If you do choose to stay at home with your children then that is a wonderful time that you can spend with your child. Enjoy it and you can do things at home with your child that will help prepare them for school as well. You can help you child's social skills with outings to the park or play-dates with friends. Either way, it is your decision and your child will be fine in the long run. I feel like there is no right or wrong decision about putting your child in daycare. It is a personal and a family decision.

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