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Rescuing the baby from the bathwater: how gender and temperament (may) influence how child care affects child

Susan C Crockenberg1

  • 1Psychology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. susan.crockenberg@uvm.edu

Child Development
|August 27, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Child temperament and gender significantly impact development within various childcare settings. Understanding these individual differences is crucial for improving childcare environments and reducing children's stress responses.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Child temperament, gender, and care characteristics (type, quality, quantity) are recognized influences on development.
  • Previous research suggests these factors interact but lack definitive studies on childcare effects.
  • Individual differences in children's stress responses to childcare settings are evident.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the importance of considering children's individual characteristics in childcare research.
  • To examine the variability in children's stress responses to full-time, center-based childcare.
  • To inform necessary changes in childcare practices to mitigate stress.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on child development and childcare effects.
  • Analysis of studies examining children's stress responses (e.g., cortisol levels) in different care settings.
  • Comparative analysis of stress patterns in center-based versus home/family day care.

Main Results:

  • Children's stress responses to full-time, center-based care vary significantly.
  • These stress response differences correlate with pre-existing emotional tendencies.
  • Family day care and home settings generally show less cortisol-linked stress increase during the day compared to centers.

Conclusions:

  • Childcare environments require adjustments to better accommodate individual children's temperaments and needs.
  • Reducing stress in center-based care necessitates integrating insights from less stressful care arrangements.
  • Further research is needed to establish definitive links and guide evidence-based childcare improvements.

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