In the contemporary era, household living expenses are increasing because of the country’s development. Many families have both parents working to turn down financial pressure. While some individuals consider that some working parents believe family members like grandparents can take care of their children, I contend that childcare centers provide the best care because of its significant benefits.
There are several reasons why people might argue that some working parents believe family members like grandparents can take care of their children. Firstly, it is clear that leaving children in the care of grandparents brings the largest benefits which alleviate the financial burden for parents. If parents leave their children in the care of family members, they save a remarkable expense for hiring domestic help or sending children to childcare centers. According to Child Penalty In Developing Countries: Evidence From Vietnam, women in Vietnam usually face up to a marked decline in income and employment opportunities after childbirth. However, this research points out that mothers who live with or receive support from grandparents experience a significantly smaller decline. Grandparents serve as a support base helping mothers return to the labor market sooner. Additionally, the conflict in educational approaches between two generations presents a new obstacle. Grandparents usually have a mindset of loving grandchildren more than one’s own children, excessive indulgence makes children prone to demanding behavior and makes them difficult to manage when parents try to discipline them. According to Dr. Diana Baumrind’s classic theory on parenting styles, grandparents often adopt the Permissive style. Research shows that children raised in such environments-characterized by a lack of boundaries and discipline-struggle significantly with self-control, lack a sense of responsibility, and tend to be selfish. Because their desires are met immediately, these children develop a distorted perception that they are the center of the universe. Consequently, when entering group settings like school, they are prone to selfishness, an inability to share, and rebellious behavior when they do not get their way.
Conversely, I advocate for the perspective that childcare centers provide the best care. The first significant merit of childcare centers is that children are able to feed themselves, put away their belongings, and sleep on schedule in accordance with class routine. According to the theory of psychologist Albert Bandura, children learn through observation and imitation. At preschool, when children see their peers putting away their backpacks, feeding themselves, or getting dressed on their own, they tend to follow suit to assert their independence and fit in with the group. Besides, childcare centers also help children develop cognition and language. A stimulating environment helps children learn to speak quickly and absorb new knowledge. For instance, The Abecedarian Project (USA) conducted one of the most renowned longitudinal studies on early childhood education. The findings revealed that children who had access to a high-quality childcare environment from an early age exhibited higher IQ scores and significantly better-developed language skills such as reading comprehension and vocabulary, maintaining this advantage into adulthood compared to children who remained at home.
In conclusion, although there are compelling arguments supporting the view that some working parents believe family members like grandparents can take care of their children, I firmly believe that childcare centers offer more significant advantages, especially when considering grandparents and childcare centers.