Comments on: Does DayCare Cause Brain Damage? http://charlyleetham.com/does-daycare-cause-brain-damage Counting My Blessings Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:08:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Patrysha http://charlyleetham.com/does-daycare-cause-brain-damage/comment-page-1#comment-26 Patrysha Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:08:37 +0000 http://charlyleetham.com/?p=16#comment-26 I'd have to say that this is someone looking to get publicity by being controversial. I don't think any sane and balanced person could say things like that and not be after something else. From a educational psychology/development perspective her theory is completely full of holes. There are just way too many variables in family life to make a blanket statement like that. As a former daycare provider, I can totally see someone in the field making a statement like she suggests came from a center owner...about childcare being like abuse. It sounds like something that could be shared at the end of a long day dealing with difficult children and their even more difficult parents. In my own experience, I met a lot of parents whose behaviour did make one wonder exactly why they had children in the first place. Unlike Fox though, I would never make a general statement about childcare being substandard for all. In fact, I think in many cases where the parenting is lacking a quality care situation can make an immense positive impact on a young child's life. On a personal level, for my family, being at home was the best thing I could do for my children - and I do feel that I belong at home...but I wouldn't blanket that to include my many wonderful friends who made different decisions. We managed because it was a priority for us (and I was making an income through my work at home responsibilities which at one point did include running a home childcare and at another point included taking my children to a center where I worked). Technically one could say my children were raised in a daycare for a large period of their young lives. Are they brain-damaged...well I have an 11 year old who had testing at the age of 9 that revealed a functional communication level of a 23 year old and functional reading comprehension of a 20 year old. If that's damage - I don't want to know what it would've been like if I hadn't "abused" him. I’d have to say that this is someone looking to get publicity by being controversial. I don’t think any sane and balanced person could say things like that and not be after something else.

From a educational psychology/development perspective her theory is completely full of holes. There are just way too many variables in family life to make a blanket statement like that.

As a former daycare provider, I can totally see someone in the field making a statement like she suggests came from a center owner…about childcare being like abuse. It sounds like something that could be shared at the end of a long day dealing with difficult children and their even more difficult parents. In my own experience, I met a lot of parents whose behaviour did make one wonder exactly why they had children in the first place.

Unlike Fox though, I would never make a general statement about childcare being substandard for all. In fact, I think in many cases where the parenting is lacking a quality care situation can make an immense positive impact on a young child’s life.

On a personal level, for my family, being at home was the best thing I could do for my children – and I do feel that I belong at home…but I wouldn’t blanket that to include my many wonderful friends who made different decisions. We managed because it was a priority for us (and I was making an income through my work at home responsibilities which at one point did include running a home childcare and at another point included taking my children to a center where I worked). Technically one could say my children were raised in a daycare for a large period of their young lives.

Are they brain-damaged…well I have an 11 year old who had testing at the age of 9 that revealed a functional communication level of a 23 year old and functional reading comprehension of a 20 year old. If that’s damage – I don’t want to know what it would’ve been like if I hadn’t “abused” him.

]]> By: Marc Norris http://charlyleetham.com/does-daycare-cause-brain-damage/comment-page-1#comment-25 Marc Norris Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:38:29 +0000 http://charlyleetham.com/?p=16#comment-25 We had our oldest son in daycare for about a year while my wife and I were both in University. We didn't have any other choices when it came to childcare since both of our parents were still working and not staying at home. Our experience with daycare was bad due to the person running it. She didn't want us to come early without calling, and a number of times when we did come slightly early, he was always sitting in a highchair and we often wondered if he was there all day. That aside, he was making letters with french fries at eight months and he is academically brilliant. He also wants to spend time and play games with us whenever he can (he is five right now). As for brain damage, there is no sign... though sometimes I wish he didn't whine so much... We had our oldest son in daycare for about a year while my wife and I were both in University. We didn’t have any other choices when it came to childcare since both of our parents were still working and not staying at home.

Our experience with daycare was bad due to the person running it. She didn’t want us to come early without calling, and a number of times when we did come slightly early, he was always sitting in a highchair and we often wondered if he was there all day.

That aside, he was making letters with french fries at eight months and he is academically brilliant. He also wants to spend time and play games with us whenever he can (he is five right now).

As for brain damage, there is no sign… though sometimes I wish he didn’t whine so much…

]]>