Sending a child to a daycare center is a personal choice that many people struggle to make and even feel guilt about. However, there are social benefits a child can get from the daycare setting. These benefits can help a child deal with new situations, make friends easier and have less anxiety and more independence.
Relationships
One of the most important benefits a child can receive from day care is learning how to make friends and tolerate others. Children need to learn how to get along and play with one another. A child who does not have siblings or has had limited interaction with other children her own age needs to learn how to do this. In addition, making friends can lead into other behaviors that a healthy, well adjusted child needs to experience and understand. For example, a child can learn how to share with other children and this is important because it can help her foster and grow in her relationships. It also teaches her to have empathy for others and to understand how other children may feel.
Reduced Anxiety
According to KidsHealth.org, a young child develops separation anxiety around his first birthday. A child that attends daycare will have a reduced level of anxiety when finally attending kindergarten because he will have a better understanding of separation from his parents. Socialization provides a child with skills that he can take with him into the future. A child learns how to interact with others and how to conform to situations with rules and expectations. Essentially a child becomes comfortable with new situations and meeting new people. When children are not exposed to daycare they are not able to deal with a structured environment with rules and new people. This new environment shocks many children that have been in a relatively unstructured environment and been able to do as they wish.
Independence
According to Renatta Cooper who teaches at Pacific Oaks College and is a consultant with several Region 9 Head Start Agencies in Pasadena, California, independence can be fostered in children that are sent to day care facilities. Children in day care settings learn to be independent because they are forced to be on their own away from the security of their parents. This encourages children to try new things and interact with other kids. It pushes their boundaries and teaches them to not be afraid when they are away from mom and dad. Learning to be independent can also foster confidence and can help the child become successful in the classroom and grow up into a successful adult.
