Factors That Affect Day Care Needs

When considering whether to leave your child at a day care or for how much time, it’s important to weigh a few aspects. Some things to consider in your ultimate decision include:

• Your job demands: If both you and your partner work a traditional 9-to-5 job, those are the typical hours you would need to seek day care.
• Your schedules: If you and your partner work staggered hours and can trade off on child care duties, it might be beneficial to reduce the amount of day care hours to spend more time bonding with your child.
• How far you commute: The distance you must travel daily to get to and from work will impact your day care needs. Be sure to include your own travel time when deciding your needs.
• The location and traffic: Your daily commute and whether you travel during peak traffic hours will play a role in determining how long your day care services need to last.
• Your child’s temperament: If your child has a sensitive temperament or is shy around strangers, they may benefit from a reduced amount of time in day care.
• Your lifestyle and family support: A busy lifestyle that demands you be on the move frequently or family that can support you and help with the day care needs of your little one will also play a role in the amount of time your child spends at a day care facility.

The ideal time your child will need at a day care facility varies greatly. A more demanding work schedule for parents might mean more time in day care for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asserts that more than half the children under the age of 5 spend at least some time in day care.

The standard recommendation by the AAP is infants and toddlers up to 15 months spend two hours or less in day care, while toddlers from 16 to 24 months can spend up to four hours each day. Older children from 3 to 5 should spend only four to five hours at a time. These are just recommendations, though — you may need to leave your child for longer based on your work schedule.

The number of hours a child is at a day care facility may affect their behavior and development. Being away from home too often may cause them to act out or become stressed, so it’s important to consider your child’s personality and behavior when deciding what’s best for your family.