While childcare services are a common option for child-caring in this era where both parents felt the need to work, some families are in a better situation because they have another option to choose from when it comes to caring for their child aside from enlisting the services of a center or home daycare.
They have dotting grandparents for their little ones.
The Kidovations team decided to take a detective-like approach in this perennial inquiry. We took these 4 major factors into consideration:
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- Level of Care
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- Expenses
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- Learning
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- Safety and Security
Expenses:
Grandparents win this round, hands down. Childcare can be expensive and it will truly bore a hole in your family budget whereas grandparents very rarely accept pay to care for your offspring.
If saving is something you want to emphasize and go big on this year, then you might want to let the children be in the care of grandma and grandpa for now.
Of course, children need to learn. The first 8 years of a child’s life are after all called “formative years” because of its huge impact on the child that affects how he/she responds to the challenges and joys of adulthood.
So a structured daily routine of learning especially when it is combined with play is good for the child. But as much as the child needed to learn, they also needed attention, care, and consistency at this point.
And as much as we want to say that they can get all these from the grandparents or home
Safety and Security:
This round is easy. We award these to both parties.
Simply because each of them cannot exist without making sure that their surroundings are safe and secure.
Home daycares and centers are bound by State policies to make their locations as safe and as secure as possible using varied measures or else they will risk getting a write-up or be closed.
Grandparents are pros at making their home safe and baby-proof. They have years of experience given how they raised you or your partner and are pretty sure they will be using the same safety and security measures (if not make them extra) for your little one.
You alone knows the pros and cons of the situations whether you will enroll your child in childcare facility or deliver them to their grandparents.
You alone know the temperament of your olds, how they would treat the children when they are at home, what kind of care they can truly offer.
You alone know the kind of care you can afford if your budget requires it.
Quite understandably, many parents only want the best option for their child so they often ask: What’s the better childcare option? centers/ home daycares or grandparents?
Many chime in with their opinion, and it’s always varied pointing to so many pros and cons so we decided to settle the matter once and for all.
Level of Care:
Those offering care whether in-home or in centers are expected to be well-prepared to handle the physical and emotional toll of caring for children and toddlers at ALL TIMES. It is what they signed up after all.
Grandparents on the other hand, despite the willingness of their genuine hearts, may not always be in a good physical condition to care for your little one.
These unforeseen situations may result in parents scrambling for other options for childcare or sacrifice work for the day (or days) in order for the kids to be taken care of.
If you are fine with this then, by all means, you can let the grandparents look after the children. If not, then you might want to consider your childcare options.
Learning:
Do children truly learn whenever they are in home daycares/ centers?
Are grandparents capable or incapable of educating your babies when they are in charge?
These questions are difficult to answer because each situation is different. Only you as a vigilant, observant parent can truly answer this question.
daycares alone, we can’t. Because as we have said, each situation is different. Only you as the parent can answer this.
So what do you say, Mom and Dad?
What option really does allow your child to learn best and prepare for formal school?
Is it the center/ home daycare route or the grandparents’ route?
The answer and choice are yours.
So where are we going with this?
Did we just waste your time reading this article when actually we didn’t take a side?
If you read this article with the hope that we will take a specific side in this argument, then we understand your disappointment and we apologize.
But here’s something we want you to understand:
No one can make the best choice for your child than YOU.
So we sincerely advise you to not base your decisions on what other people say.Instead, educate yourself by learning more about your options, understand the pros and cons, make a choice then pray if that choice is right.
You will be lead to the right choice because you alone can make the best decision for your child.
Stop doubting yourself. You can do this!
Visit us at www.kidovations.com for more valuable tips like this!