Are You A Stay-At-Home Parent? Your Child Can Still Benefit From Daycare
Posted on: 5 August 2021
Should you enroll your child in preschool? You have at least one stay-at-home parent in your family—and this means you may not need full-time childcare services for your three, four, or five-year-old. But this doesn't mean you shouldn't sign your child up for an early learning daycare program. Take a look at the top reasons your child should try pre-k.
Educational Benefits
According to the National Education Association (NEA), research shows high-quality early childhood programs can have long-term educational benefits for preschoolers. These include a reduced risk of repeating a grade later in school, increased academic preparation, and a greater likelihood of graduating from high school. While you can help your child to learn at home, a quality daycare program provides a structured curriculum with a variety of activities and content.
How can an early educational experience play a role in your child's later education? Child care can help your preschooler to learn basic skills (such as letter and number identification and other similar content) that they'll use in kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond. It can also provide a supportive pre-scholastic setting that fosters critical thinking.
While critical thinking isn't a specific school subject, it's a necessary part of your child's overall education. The ability to problem solve and think on an abstract level can help your child in future math, science, language, and other classes.
Social Benefits
You're a stay-at-home parent—or your partner is. Even though an adult is at home with your preschooler 24-7, your child still needs to interact with their peers.
Parent-child interactions are crucial for building a loving, trusting relationship. The time you (or other family members) spend with your child can help them to build new skills and develop new abilities. But they also need to learn how to interact with other children their own age in a group setting. Daycare services provide children with the chance to meet new friends, learn social rules (such as taking turns), and build other essential social skills.
Creative Benefits
Would your preschooler paint all day if you let them? If you're not sure how to help your child think creatively or what types of at-home activities to try, daycare offers plenty of opportunities to try different arts. These could include anything from finger painting during free time to engaging in a group dance and drama activity. Not only does daycare provide your child the chance to try new artforms, but you also won't need to worry about buying the right materials or cleaning up after a messy project.
For more information, reach out to a local daycare service, like Montessori School Of Salt Lake Inc.
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