Introduction
Parents may ask themselves whether to hire a babysitter, put the child in the childcare center or hire a nanny? Since each family’s needs, resources, and preferences vary significantly, we may not say there is a single right answer to this question. This implies that each family makes its own choice based on the above-mentioned factors.
Definition of babysitting
Babysitting can be defined as the temporal care given to a child on behalf of the real parents or guardians. The person who renders such services to the child is referred to as a babysitter preferably teenagers and stereotypically girls. In most cases, these teens do not have vast experience and some parents do not mind hiring them. However, the majority of the parents prefer mature babysitters who have personal and also direct experience. This is because the parents presume that these babysitters are likely to deal effectively with potential issues that could arise such as choking.
A nanny can be defined as a person (preferably a woman) who is employed by a private family to provide childcare. Unlike babysitters who are young teens, a nanny should be preferably mature people who are well equipped in terms of skills and knowledge of child-rearing.
Childcare
Childcare and daycare are terms used interchangeably. They are used to describe the supervised, regular, and paid care of children outside the child’s home while parents are away. The transition from the use of the terms daycare to childcare took place during the 1970s and 1980s(Booth 4). This happened in the field of early childhood education. The term childcare, therefore, refers to the care given to a child and not the time the care is given as implied by the term daycare. It important at this point to note that some parents work beyond the traditional hours that are outside the 6.30 a.m to 6.30 p.m timeframe. These parents also need proper care for their children and therefore childcare recognizes these unique cases.
A variety of sites provide childcare namely; childcare centers, family childcare, public schools, group homes, in a child’s home, and homes of friends and families. A program that cares for more children should be licensed. We note that childcare is different from babysitting in the sense that the sole purpose of a babysitter is to ensure that the children are safe and again the care is provided in the child’s home on a short-term basis. Childcare on the other hand has the learning aspect that is an integral part of the care given to the child at the center.
In this paper, we argue that childcare from a licensed center should be preferred to babysitting. The center-based care provides services to children in groups. Religious organizations, schools, universities, and even social agencies or independent owners could sponsor the centers. The presence of a large number of children, a variety of caregivers, and the state inspections because the centers are licensed make them safe and dependable. As mentioned earlier, childcare centers have the learning component as an integral part of the services given to the children, the centers, therefore, provide a learning environment that is compared to the actual home.
Minimum standards of a childcare center
According to the National Association for the Education to Young Children (NAEYC), the minimum standards of a childcare center are: provision of more than four infants per caregiver and not more than eight infants per group in any given center-based care and each caregiver to be allocated four to twelve kids if they are young (Lande & Scarr 153).
Licensed child-care centers measure up to the required standards of quality established by the Childcare Organizations. This implies that the care centers have committed to providing the required attention and motivational activities to the children. The fact that the staff or caregivers in these care centers are properly trained and take part in in-service child development training, they are likely to understand the children’s needs at different stages of development. These trainers or caregivers also plan appropriate activities for and interact with children leading to a democratic climate in the center. Positive guidance is preferred to harsh discipline. If the caregivers are properly trained, which is the case for licensed childcare centers and then appropriate care will be given to the kids as they grow.
For any system to work towards the specified goal, in-built feedback is essential. This feedback is ensured in care centers through in-depth self-assessment, independent observation, and approval programs provided by the professional experts. The provision of this feedback helps to rectify, remove or include some programs so that they remain responsive to the child’s needs and interests.
Studies by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development suggest that children in quality childcare centers have an intellectual edge over those in other kinds of care, say, babysitter or nanny. This was established when the researchers compared the results on a test administered to those children in quality childcare and those in other equally high-quality childcare situations (Rosenthal 67).
In a childcare center, kids are provided with an opportunity to socialize with one another. This may not be possible if a child is left with a nanny or a babysitter. In the center, this child-child interaction is made possible when the kids are with resources and equipment to use. This may again lead to better cognitive development because the children have more opportunities to interact with other children and are also exposed to more learning materials (Clarke-steward, Gruber and Fitzgerald 124).
Rules and regulations are governing the center. Parents are therefore given clear rules to follow for instance pickup and drop-off times and this has made them know what is expected of them by the center. Apart from knowing the operation in the center, parents also get a chance to meet other parents who may be of different help. The arrangement in the center is more reliable compared to a babysitter because of the childcare from a licensed center that you will have to work around her sick days and vacations.
The childcare provided by licensed centers has a child-focused environment and program. This means the centers do include a range of activities during the day to teach different skills that include storytelling, dancing, and singing. The children are encouraged in that they spend their day doing projects and sharpening skills in this exclusively structured setting. The children, therefore, do not just play the whole day but rather learn new things since most of these projects are a good mix of brain activities. We note that parents are always looking for childcare that is safe and also offers learning experiences. The parent will also prefer a caregiver who is warm and loving with children. These aspects are ensured in the childcare programs that are instituted in licensed centers (Auerbach 14).
Babysitting and its effect on socialization
Parents may be quickly attracted to the option of hiring a babysitter but this may not be a better option after all. It is usually expensive to have a babysitter although your child may be avoided homesickness and forego crowds of unfamiliar faces at the childcare center. However, a question that should cross our mind at this point is: how do I want my child to be brought up or socialized? I suppose we all want to raise children who will properly fit in the society by actively participating in all activities and events happening. How will this be possible if we bring up our children in isolation, say by babysitting? This is why I propose that childcare at a licensed center is a better option because a child learns by interacting with his or her peers.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is evident that the licensed childcare centers have revealed the following merits:
- The center has professional and qualified personnel therefore proper services are rendered at the center.
- Children of similar age are grouped and exposed to the appropriate program.
- The centers are licensed and hence meet and also maintain required standards of care.
- Reliability or stability of the services provided irrespective of the absence of a given staff member.
- The services rendered are formal in that a parent is issued with a receipt when making any payment.
Although the childcare center may have demerits such as occasional incidences of infectious diseases, fixed operating hours and at times some may be expensive, these issues can be dealt with appropriately. It is therefore clear that childcare from a licensed is better than a babysitter since the above-stated merits outweigh the demerits. It will be of great help if we brought up our kids in these centers than leave them at home in isolation.
References
Auerbach D. Judith. In the Business of Childcare: Employer Initiatives and Working Women. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1988.
Booth, Alan, Ed. Childcare in the 1990s: Trends and consequences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Elrbaum Association, 1992.
Clarke-stewart, Alison, k., Irvine, C.P. Gruber and Linda, May Fitzgerald. Children at Home and in Day Care. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Elrbaum Association, 1994.
Linda, Jeffrey and Sandra Scarr, Eds. Caring for Children: Challenge to American. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Elrbaum Association, 1989.
Rosenthal, k. Miriam. An Ecological Approach to the Study of childcare: Family Daycare in Israel. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Elrbaum Association, 1994.