Throughout 2020 and into 2021, workplaces around the globe have adjusted how their employees work. In response to the pandemic, offices transitioned to allow many employees to work from home. This required a huge adjustment, especially for young families. Parents scrambled to balance work and home life in a new way. If you’re currently working from home, you may be ready to find an arrangement that provides intentional learning space for your child outside the home. Here are seven reasons parents working from home love having consistent, daily child care.
1. Your child can make meaningful connections at school.
Parents are often very attuned to their children’s intellectual development. They seek out opportunities and programs that help their children learn early literacy skills or practice their math facts. It’s also important to remember that the early years of a child’s development are a key period for social and emotional skills. While parents and caregivers are able to provide guidance about sharing, listening, and playing together, the best way to practice these social skills is through direct experience. As your child navigates imaginative play, asks to play with someone’s toy, or gives a new friend a hug, they’re building relationship skills that will prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.
2. You have the time and space to separate work and home.
With all the responsibilities working parents are balancing, establishing daily care of your little one can help you set boundaries between work and family. When working from home, the lines can blur easily. Taking a few minutes to prepare a meal or put in a load of laundry can interrupt your workflow. You may not feel able to fully unplug from either work responsibilities or family life. Having your child in a separate location while you work from your home office can help create boundaries between these two important roles.
3. Your child will be exposed to new concepts.
Preschool is a wonderful place for little one to have their first introduction to new ideas. They can take their first steps towards letter recognition, shape and color exploration, and S.T.E.A.M activities, exploring science, technology, engineering, art, and math. At preschool, kids can dabble in all types of activities so they can start to discover their gifts, talents, and interests. Working parents are under a lot of pressure to provide exposure to new ideas, but the lack of time can interfere with that introduction. With daily care for your child, you’ll know that their intellectual growth is being stimulated through target activities they explore every day.
4. You can work free from distraction.
Having little ones in the home while working full time can make it challenging to concentrate on daily tasks. While interacting with your children, you may lose your train of thought or forget something you need to complete. Requests for food, asking for items to be retrieved, or wanting to play a game are all common conversations that happen while little ones are at home. However, these frequent interruptions can affect the quality and quantity of work parents can complete. When children have a separate space to learn and grow, parents can be more mentally present during the times the family has together.
5. Your child will develop skills to prepare them for kindergarten.
A child’s first experience with schooling can set the tone for the rest of their education. The right preschool can provide a joyful, engaging introduction to learning, while also equipping your child with the skills they need to feel confident in kindergarten. Early literacy skills, number recognition, social skills, fine motor grip, and gross motor skills are all prioritized by early childhood educators.
6. You can rest easy knowing your child is taken care of.
A child blossoms, grows, and thrives through the attention of caring adults. When children form strong relationships with adults in the community, they’ll feel more connected to the world around them. Research has shown that building safe connections with trusted adults can increase a child’s self-confidence, empathic skills, and sociability. Relationships with non-parental caring adults can also improve a child’s later academic achievement and engagement in learning. Daily childcare can expand your child’s circle of trusted adults, giving them a sense of community and belonging in their lives.
7. Your child can maintain a scheduled routine.
With work emails, calls, texts, and meetings, your planned work schedule can change without warning. As a working parent, you’ve probably had to make last-minute changes to your schedule or your child’s schedule in order to accommodate either the demands of your work or the needs of your child. Since preschoolers love routine, attending preschool can provide the comfort and consistency of a set daily schedule, no matter what your workday brings.
The Gardner School Is Committed To Supporting Working Parents
With times for outdoor play, learning activities, daily snacks, meals, and planned rest times, The Gardner School is intentional about building a schedule of daily activities that our children will love. If you’re looking for exceptional child care that helps support your family, contact us today to learn more, or check out our virtual tours on our website for The Gardner School nearest you. You’ll quickly see why parents choose The Gardner School!