Does sending your child to a daycare make you a bad parent?

Question

My wife and I have a five month old baby. After much struggle and strife, we decided that for financial reasons we would have to send our son to daycare.

At first, I felt guily, that I was a bad parent. I felt that I had failed as a provider and had committed the equivalent of a moral sin.

Since we've been going to the daycare provider for the past month and a half, our baby smiles at us everyday when we pick him up. It's hard to feel bad for a child that is so happy.

On the other end of the spectrum, my brother and his wife do the "shift parenting", and it seems they are always burnt out because they do everything in their power not to send their child to daycare. They a

I think it has actually benefited our family, in that it provides balance and gives our children a chance to interact with other people and build social skills.

I am a firm believer in nature over nuture. I believe your child is in lage part who they are when they are born. What do you think

Answer 1

daycare helps them long as you get a preschool like day care that way they can learn to socialize, learn ABC's and 123's

but even they you still need to spend time with them and talk to them as much as you can or else you will regret it when their teens

Answer 2

Daycare is a blessing for us.  We send our son (21 months) to a Christian daycare right near our house.  Both my husband and I work very hard, but it would be impossible to give up one of our jobs.

Our son has so many little friends and a little girlfriend who shares his birthday too!

We have made friends with the other parents, and met some kids who live in our neighborhood.

He spends his day coloring, learning new songs, playing games, singing, running outside, etc.  He is around loving people and friends his age.

We are very pleased with our daycare, and our decision to send him there during the day.  You do what works for your family!  Nobody knows what is best for you except you.

Answer 3

for the one hundred millionth time, no it does not

Answer 4

I don't think sending a child to daycare makes someone a bad parent. It depends on the situation and the daycare, some daycares are great and some are not. If you find a good one and your child is happy how could that make you a bad parent? I know some stay home mom's who are terrible parents, lazy and do nothing with their kids. So being a good parent is a lot more involved than whether you send your kids to daycare or not.

Personally I am a stay home mom of 4 boys. I am always busy doing things with my kids and cleaning/cooking. For me daycare is not the best option for my kids...I am. I KNOW I can give them so much more than they would get at a daycare. My kids are older now anyway but I would never send them to daycare when they were little either. Even when I did work part time I worked oposite my husband's schedule and it worked for us.

Answer 5

its fine for your baby to go to a day care,it will give your baby confidence with other people and children alike...dont worry about it,most parents do this cos of work and to get a wee earned break.

Answer 6

Each family must do what is right for them, and if they do so their children will always benefit.  In some families, this means putting the child in daycare.   As long as you research the daycare beforehand, and know that your child is getting good care, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.   Two of my children were in daycare, and they are now happy and independent school children.

Answer 7

No of course you're not a bad parent for sending your child to daycare. Your child isn't happy when you pick them up from daycare simply because they were born happy though. They're happy because they had a good time at daycare and have loving and engaging parents :-)

Answer 8

NO iam 7 months pregnant and already started looking into daycare. I hate it but the truth is that we need the money, as long as the daycare provider is reliable and you are comfortable leaving your child there everything will be ok. Besides your child will have fun being with other kids to run around with.

Answer 9

I think that for some families daycare is absolutely necessary.  My husband is just getting over a long illness and we will be sending our son to daycare now that he's going back to work.

Answer 10

You are not a bad parent for taking your child to daycare. In these days and times it takes two incomes to make ends meet. Shift parenting can lead to problems in the marriage if it is not a strong one to begin with. If your child is happy and the daycare is a good one (highly recommended) then you should not feel guilty.

Answer 11

As long as you can trust the daycare provider then there is nothing wrong with it. i am a stay at home mom and I'm gonna start sending my daughter to day care just for socialization purposes. Kids need to be around other kids. And yes, if you try to do it all yourself, you get burnt out really quick. Which will mess up some things with your relationship. So, yeah stick with daycare.

Answer 12

NO