Top six benefits of sending your child to childcare

For most families, childcare is an essential service that allows parents to work, study, run errands, attend appointments or take some precious time to themselves. But sending a child to childcare isn’t just beneficial for the parents, it also has a whole host of benefits for the child.  Here are some of the key benefits your child will receive from attending childcare in their early years.

Routine

It’s a well-established fact that children thrive off having a predictable routine. In fact, knowing what to expect actually allows children to feel freer to explore, experiment, and engage in the activity they are currently doing, rather than worrying about what will come next. While it’s possible to have a predictable routine at home, life can often get in the way, especially if there are older children or competing commitments. Many parents also prefer to be more spontaneous and laid-back when they’re spending time at home with their kids. This is why attending childcare can be great for young children. Although every day at childcare is different, the days have a set flow and structure that the kids quickly come to enjoy. Understanding that there are set times for playing, eating, sleeping, etc., can also help to make children’s behaviour more manageable at home.

Socialisation

As anyone with a child at daycare will know, the friendships children form while at care are absolutely invaluable. Early childhood educators are skilled at mediating and facilitating social interactions between peers to help children develop positive social skills and form lasting friendships. Children also benefit from their experiences of socialising and connecting with their educators, and parents will often notice their children become more confident interacting with both other children and other adults after they start attending daycare regularly. 

Communication

While talking to your child regularly is a great way to develop language, peer-to-peer interactions with other children with more advanced vocabularies or language skills can also help to boost your child’s communication skills. Children tend to learn communication skills more rapidly when they are in a social context, so sending your child to daycare can noticeably accelerate their language development. Daycare also presents more opportunities for your child to speak, listen and hear others’ conversations, all of which enhance their communication skills.

Confidence

While a child’s first days and weeks at childcare can often be a challenge, this is counterbalanced by the sense of confidence they gain from overcoming their fears and learning to thrive in a new environment. Many parents have observed how their child’s sense of self-worth seems to blossom as they gain the confidence to navigate the childcare environment without their parents. This positive experience of independence can build a child’s confidence when faced with separations from their caregivers in the future.

Development

While babies and children can grow, develop and thrive perfectly well at home, sending your child to a high-quality early education centre has been shown to improve their future success at school. Daycare activities are carefully planned using the Early Years Learning Framework which is a play-based learning approach that ensures children are exposed to developmentally appropriate learning activities. Educators are also specially trained to facilitate child development and to identify any areas of delay or concern so that these can be addressed to prevent a child from falling behind their peers. 

Transition to preschool/kindy

Of course, regardless of whether or not they attend childcare, most children will one day need to attend preschool or school. If a child has never attended daycare, this transition can be very challenging. Children who have attended daycare will be much more comfortable with separating from their parents for the entire day, as well as following the set structure and routine of preschool or Kindergarten. Many childcare centres also offer their own preschool program to allow for the smoothest possible transition to school.

Want your child to experience all these amazing benefits and more? Book a tour at Mini Masterminds today!