Everyone recognizes how important school is in children's lives. Most people think of traditional schooling beginning with kindergarten but that’s not always the case. Daycare is a great way to start your child’s schooling early and give them a leg up in their development.

Studies have shown that good quality daycare from a young age gives kids an academic boost and leads to better behavior as they get older. Daycare helps young kids develop a host of skills at an early age which makes them well-prepared for the challenges of formal schooling when they enter kindergarten.

Although early childhood learning always starts at home, being around other children and childcare professionals from a young age adds a level of learning that serves children well throughout their life. Here are five skills a child should start developing in daycare.

1. Socialization

Even if your child has brothers,  sisters, cousins and friends at home, there is simply no substitute for interacting with a larger number of children at a young age. Relating to a diverse group of children with different personalities, different skills, and different emotional states is a great first step to your child becoming a socially well-rounded person.

In this environment, children have to navigate communication, fair play, and sharing with different non-family member children. They do this without their parents present but under the watchful eye of a childcare provider.

Children who socialize with more children at an earlier age can experience many social and emotional benefits. This environment, done well, should improve their ability to interact with their peers, help them become better and more creative problem solvers, and develop a higher level of emotional intelligence than children who don’t go to daycare.

2. Cognitive Skills 

In addition to socialization skills acquired at daycare, much traditional learning is carried out in daycare centers, too. Your child may not be sounding out words or doing math problems at this level of schooling, but the learning that does go on forms the building blocks for all the learning that happens when your child embarks on K-12 schooling.

Being read to at daycare, learning songs, playing games, counting things, and other such activities are all laying the foundation for later learning.  Not only are these fundamental concepts being ingrained in your children, they are conducted in a fun way that encourages a life-long love of learning.

Language, math, and social skills are often delivered under the guise of something fun in daycare. This builds your child’s enjoyment of schooling without them even knowing it. Maybe they are read a story about a child having to share or maybe they play a game where they have to find three things that are green. To your child, these seem like fun ways to pass the time but they are really learning moments in disguise.

3. Motor skills

The benefits of daycare for children aren’t just mental, they can be physical too. One of the other areas that daycare helps young kids develop is motor skills. Two main categories of motor skills, large (moving your body) and fine (moving your fingers and hands) motor skills, are carefully practiced through specific activities. Daycare helps children develop both of these areas.

At daycare, kids can get outside to run and jump and play with other kids. They can see how other children move their bodies and follow suit. This helps to improve large motor skills and develops healthy bones and muscles. They also get practice developing fine motor skills by writing, coloring, working on puzzles, and playing with Play-Doh.

Practicing fine motor skills at daycare is especially effective because it occurs with the help and guidance of childcare professionals. The people who work at daycare centers are likely very knowledgeable when it comes to early childhood development. They can watch, correct, and teach children how to do tasks the right way so that fine motor skills develop not only faster but also correctly.

4. Discipline

As many adults know, a good chunk of life as a child and as an adult entails getting up and doing the same things day after day. This may not be fun, but it is reality for most people. Getting comfortable with the regular routines of life is also something that daycare can help teach your child.

The simple act of going to daycare, whether it's every day or just a few times a week, starts to get your child used to a routine. When they get to daycare, the time is carefully structured. Playtime, nap- time, lunchtime, storytime and probably several other scheduled pods in between occur in the same order and at the same time of day each day.

This all helps instil the discipline children need in order to function in their formal schooling years and beyond. At home, it is easy (and normal) to give into the “five more minutes” cry. At daycare, they learn a schedule and that when it is time to move on to the next activity, you move on.

5. Confidence 

Last but not least, daycare helps develop a child’s sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Encouraging these are two feelings are an important part of raising confident children. At home, it is easy to do something for your child when they struggle because you want to make their lives as comfortable as possible. It’s what parents do.

At daycare though, kids have to be more independent. While daycares have enough teachers to keep children safe and engaged, it isn’t always going to be a one-on-one situation. Your child will be challenged and may struggle at times. That’s actually for the better outcome. Children are tougher and more resilient than parents give them credit for and most times, kids will overcome their challenges, figure out how to solve their problems, and become more confident people because of this

Conclusion 

Daycare is incredibly helpful to parents but it can be just as beneficial to kids. Going to daycare from an early age helps improve kids’ social, cognitive, and physical skills while also helping develop discipline and confidence. It is a great way to set your child up for future success in life.

Author Bio
Sandra Chiu works as Director at LadyBug & Friends Daycare and Preschool.