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Shared caregiving: comparisons between home and child-care settings
L Ahnert1, H Rickert, M E Lamb
1Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Research on Socialization, Berlin, Germany. lieselotte.ahnert@uumail.de
Developmental Psychology
|June 1, 2000
Summary
Child care enrollment for toddlers did not change total care time. However, mothers of toddlers in child care engaged in more social interactions and provided emotional support, despite less prompt responses to distress.
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Early childhood education
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Child care is increasingly common for toddlers.
- Understanding the impact of child care on daily experiences is crucial.
- Parental interaction patterns may differ based on child care enrollment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the daily care experiences of toddlers enrolled in child care versus those not enrolled.
- To investigate differences in social interaction and emotional support between groups.
- To explore the relationship between maternal age and toddler interaction.
Main Methods:
- Observational checklists were used to record the daily experiences of 84 German toddlers (12-24 months).
- Data collection spanned from waking to sleeping times over weekdays.
- Comparisons were made between toddlers in child care and home-only toddlers, including matched pairs.
Main Results:
- Total daily care time did not differ between toddlers in child care and those at home.
- Toddlers in child care received less care from center providers but more social interaction from mothers during nonworking hours.
- Child care attendees experienced high emotional support at home but slower responses to distress; older mothers initiated more proximity.
Conclusions:
- Families utilizing child care exhibit distinct caregiving patterns compared to families with home-only toddlers.
- Child care enrollment influences the balance of caregiving interactions between formal centers and home environments.
- Maternal age correlates with interaction styles, with older mothers seeking more physical closeness with their toddlers.
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