Study on Daycare Raises Parental Concerns
I’m sure we’ve all seen this study or at least have heard about it by now. It seems to me that all moms are talking about this in some form, and it’s scaring several moms I know.
A recent study showed that children who spend more time in daycare than their non-daycare-attending counterparts tended to act out more by the time they reached kindergarten. (The newscast below says, “went to school,” so I’m assuming that’s kindergarten, but I suppose it could be pre-school.) And apparently, researchers found that the quality of the facility and those who supervise doesn’t matter—it’s the length of time kids spend in daycare that may affect behavior.
What do you think, readers? Have you seen any difference in children you know? Would you attribute the length of time these children spend in a daycare facility or at home to be the primary reason for any major behavioral differences?
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By the way, if you can find the text of the study itself, let me know. I did a quick search and came up empty-handed.
Laura Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
Oh, goodness, there are still other factors that lead to behavioral problems besides daycare. An interesting correlation, but with other studies contradicting it and other factors that can easily (and probably more plausibly) lead to behavioral problems, I wouldn’t be yanking my kids out of daycare anytime soon. Another study found a very complex relationship between daycare and kids, and included factors such as quality of daycare and the parental relationship with the kids. That one DID find a correlation with the quality of daycare, and the quality of the parental relationship with the kids outside of the daycare as well. Behavioral problems can correlate to a long time in daycare for the simple reason that most parents who send their kids to daycare for long periods of time tend to feel guilty for not spending as much time with them, and therefore discipline less.
There can also be a poverty thing here, too: stress in the home because of poverty can lead to behavioral problems, and people with a low SES may not be able to afford to have a parent stay at home full time.
And the list goes on. I think the most important thing to remember is that correlation does NOT prove causation.
Kelly Gorski Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
Well said, Laura.
I’m concerned, though, because this study is, for whatever reason, getting a fair amount of press compared to other studies, and one has to wonder why.
Ashley Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
Im not buying it. From what I have seen kids that are daycare (or maybe its just the good ones) or are around more social structured enviroments tend to behave better when they enter kindergarden.
Sarah Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 12:58 pm
Interesting that they are reviving this story, as some results from this study were initially reported back in 2007. The headlines (as usual) did not really reflect the findings of the study, as the behavior differences were apparently very slight and most of them disappeared by the sixth grade. Here are a couple links from 2007 that address the study:
http://www.slate.com/id/2162876/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17876040/
jessiemarion Said,
May 20, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
One thing to consider is that this is just one study. I haven’t done much research on this topic but like Laura said there are other studies that show different results. Also, the news clip says it was a fairly large study but it doesn’t give any other details about the study regarding how they measured “bad behavior”, what other factors the researchers took into account, how much more likely is “more likely”, and so on.
I think this study is getting press because it’s scary and makes for more exciting news then,”We don’t exactly know what contributes to good or bad behavior in children.”
catgirl Said,
May 21, 2009 @ 6:22 am
I wonder how much of this is meant to play on the guilt and fears of parents, especially working mothers. I would have to see the actual data from the study, since the media has a long history of exaggerating correlations and completely messing up interpretations of statistics. There are a lot of confounding factors too, so we have to be more careful than the media is about drawing a causal conclusion.
Julie Said,
May 21, 2009 @ 7:24 am
Well said, catgirl and Jessie.
I also suspect a conservative slant here, either in whoever backed the study or in the media reporting of it. There is a prevailing backlash against women in the workforce in our country, and it seems to manifest itself in “scientific” findings like these. So I would be very interested to find out more about what the study actually says and who did it.
Martin Baby Blog » Diaper Daily News - 7/14/09 Said,
July 14, 2009 @ 8:57 am
[...] Study on Daycare Raises Parental Concerns (Rational Moms) [...]
Bo Said,
September 23, 2009 @ 3:30 am
This study only confirms my suspicions. My kids have been in two daycares: Bright Horizons and now Kindercare. The longer they are there, the more aggressive and the more clingy. Daycare workers are overworked, underpaid, and often tired and cranky. Many are excellent; some are terrible. This is particularly awful if the terrible one is taking care of your infant (which was my experience). The daycare providers are afraid to “snitch” on each other for fear of losing their jobs. My son is 1 1/2 and when I come to pick him up there is the same baby crying at the window and waiting for his parent. Why doesn’t the work do anything? In my daughters class, I actually heard the worker screaming at the kids at the top of her lungs. I had never heard that kind of intensity from anyone. It was frightening. So is there any questions as to why they are more aggressive? C’mon folks – I know the economic necessity to work makes us all feel guilty. But facts are facts.