Home or Nursery
The issue as to how much mothers need to be involved in the care and development of their children has been, and will continue to be, a controversial subject.
There are those who believe that mums should be at home, and stay at home until their children at least begin pre-school. I firmly believe that young children, who are brought up in an environment with stable relationships – with adults who care for them – both physically and emotionally, will develop better personalities and thrive, whether those relationships are at home or in a good nursery environment.
Helping a young child become independent needs to be a gradual process. Preliminary and short visits with a carer other than the parent are initially essential. In the beginning, if the child becomes distressed when the parent is about to leave, the best way actually is to leave quickly. Long goodbyes prolong distress and make the situation worse. The irony is that being over concerned about your child actually makes things worse. Invariably, children who are distressed when their parents leave, usually calm down and begin to join in with activities after a few minutes of the parents leaving. Within those first few months, particularly before the age of 9 months, the child will show less anxiety at being left with others. In the second half of the first year and when a child reaches 12 to 18 months, anxiety begins to peak. Parents will therefore find it easier to begin the short separation process at an earlier age. Short, sharp separations will help to ease anxiety, and as the child starts to realise that the parent will always return they will relax into their new environment. The stimulating, safe, and busy environment of a good nursery will add valuable progress to your child’s personal, social and emotional development. It will prepare a solid foundation for those first days at school.
