How your little one can benefit from childcare
Why childcare is a positive experience for babies and young children
Childcare is a realistic option for many working parents and many mums find they feel mummy guilt for leaving little ones as well as the odd judgement from others.
However, childcare is a necessity for many parents, so we take a positive look at just some of the many benefits your little one will gain from going to childcare.
1. Gets them ready for the school transition
Little ones eventually have to leave the comfort of the nest to start their school journey and children who have been used to childcare, nursery or pre-school tend to find the transition easier as they are already used to leaving their parents and are more used to socialising with other adults and children.
2. Helps develop communication
As little ones in childcare get used to communicating with others from a younger age, often by the time they start school they are more confident in communicating with their peers giving them strong social and emotional skills.
3. Build up immunity
When your little one starts in childcare you may feel they are constantly ill, picking up every bug around, but this may actually be good in the long run as this all helps to build up their immune system so by the time they start school, you may well notice they pick up less bugs than some of the other kids.
4. Widen their food range
Little ones who attend childcare often eat many of their meals with other children and they tend to like to mimic their peers so you’ll sometimes find that they are more open to trying new foods and healthier choices as childminders and nurseries are expected to offer a healthy range of food. These social aspects of eating together can pay a big part in broadening their palette.
5. Regular exposure to stimulating activities
As much as we all may try to offer a stimulating choice of activities throughout the day for our little ones, there’s not always time. But in childcare settings there will be a number of activities throughout the day whether songs, storytelling, colouring that all contribute to their intellectual growth and social development.