Quantity Vs Quality

It might always feel as if there’s never enough time for everyone and everything, and yes, there isn’t.

Moms often worry about working outside the home and not being with their child all the time. Rest assured though, the amount of time you spend with your toddler isn’t nearly as important as how you spend that time together.

A survey of more than 1,000 mothers and babies for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s “Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development” confirmed that quality trumps quantity when it comes to time together and child development.

Take it easy on yourself--you can raise a wonderful child, have a wonderful career, and be present for both.

What About Time Spent in Children?

While parents often worry that putting their toddler in childcare might negatively affect development, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development data reinforces the fact that high-quality childcare has many positive benefits.

It encourages young children’s cognitive, language and pre-academic skills, especially among children at risk for developmental delays.

Talking with Your Childcare Provider

If your child is in a childcare situation, ideally, you and the care provider are developing a comfortable partnership. The key is daily communication about how your child’s day went and concerns or observations you or your provider might have.

An attentive, high-quality provider will want to know as much about how your child is doing at home as you want to know about how she’s doing at childcare. Sharing this makes you both an effective team.

If drop-off and pickup times do not allow for detailed conversations, suggest a “communications notebook,” in which you both write daily notes to keep the information flowing.

This message is not intended to provide individual medical advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have about your health or medical condition, your breastfeeding issues and your infant's health. Never disregard, avoid or delay contacting a doctor or other qualified professional because of something you have read in our emails, webpages or other electronic communications.