Which Best Supports Child Development, Babysitting Or Daycare?

Illustration of parenting (Pexels/Jep Gambardella)

JAKARTA – For working parents, these two options, babysitting or daycare, are often difficult considerations. The difficulty of these considerations has also been discussed in various studies. One study has stated that parenting has a big influence on development.

According to Cara Goodwin, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, there are advantages and disadvantages to each type of parenting. For parenting in daycare, according to Goodwin reported by Psychology Today, Saturday, September 18, it may improve academic development, cognitive abilities, and language in children.

A study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development explored the impact of parenting on child development. This study is still being carried out today since the early 1990s and is followed by 1,000 children who are now 18 years old.

According to the study's findings, children who were placed in daycare based on age 6 years and over showed cognitive improvement. At the age of 3 years, children experience an increase in language, and at the age of 4 years their academic skills increase.

Behavior problems are also less based on the results of studies conducted on children aged 2-3 years. However, at the age of 4 years, they experienced more behavioral problems when compared to children who were not in daycare.

Children over 4 years of age who were in daycare were more likely to develop ear infections, respiratory infections, and stomach ailments than children who were cared for by babysitters in their own homes. Younger children are less likely to experience these problems.

Positively, the child is under group care or in daycare. The impact found above is also smaller when viewed from the professionalism in management. In fact, factors from parents, home environment, and the quality of parent-child interactions have a greater impact on child development.

NICHD found that the above factors have a two to three times greater impact on child development than parenting. So, whether with babysitting or daycare, parents are still obliged to provide a sense of security, comfort, and all the needs of children are fulfilled, including emotional closeness with parents to support their best development.