Day Care Research

There is an interesting article titled Day Care: Research Has Eased Some Fears About Having Children Spend Their Days Away From Home, by Sandra G. Boodman at Washington Post on-line. The article indicates that research reveals quality day care has a positive effect on children and parents can relax some about having to leave children in the care of others during the day at those facilities.

Ms. Boodman mentioned that no males worked at the facility she profiled in the article. That is not a surprise.

I taught child development courses at a junior college and observed students for state and national childcare certification. In all the childcare centers I visited to observe students, I never saw a male working as a teacher. At one facility I followed the observation protocol by quietly watching one of my students provide care to 2-3 year olds. One little guy didn't want to nap and tried hard to get my attention without disturbing the other sleeping children. He quietly moved closer and closer to me as I sat in a corner. He finally climbed onto my lap, and I became his tree. I remained still while he moved from my lap, over my shoulder, and to my back. I finally told him that he needed to try to nap.

What I realized was that this little guy decided to take advantage of the only male he saw in the center. This situation left me wondering what children are losing with so few males working as teachers in day care centers. I realize the fear is that males will molest children and that fear is added to the anxiety parents feel when leave children for others to provide care. I'll have more to say about this after I track down a book tittled A Nation of Wimps by Hara Estroff Marano. According to an interview of Marano by Sam Miller of Freedom News Service, Marano believes that we are raising children to be weak because of over protection. Also, Marano believes that children are at risk more at home than outside the home.