Official: babies do best with mother

The Observer (UK) ^ | 2 OCTOBER 2005 | Yvonne Roberts

[rdb3]

One of the longest and most detailed studies of UK childcare has concluded that young children who are looked after by their mothers do significantly better in developmental tests than those cared for in nurseries, by childminders or relatives.

The study on children from birth to three will reignite the controversy over the best way to bring up young children. It found babies and toddlers fared worst when they were given group nursery care. Those cared for by friends or grandparents or other relatives did a little better while those looked after by nannies or childminders were rated second only to those cared for by mothers.

According to Penelope Leach, a leading British childcare expert and one of the study's authors, the social and emotional development of children cared for by someone other than their mother 'is definitely less good'.

A study conducted on what normally would be considered common sense.

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[clee1]

Please file this one under "no shizzle, Sherlock".

[TheCrusader]

"A study conducted on what normally would be considered common sense."

Common sense cannot co-exist with political correctness, it's one or the other. The Western world has chosen the "other". Now we've got to do full scientific studies to deduce what every grade school kid would have known 40 years ago.

[little jeremiah]

If it weren't for feminism, this study would never have been necessary. Everyone would know this without being told.

[Skylus]

Simply genius, I tell ya!

Boy, what will they find out next?

</sarc.

[hflynn]

Be careful. This may mean that baby does better with 2 mothers.

[headstamp]

A parallel study also revealed and confirmed for the first time, that keeping a pencil sharp aids the ability of it's operator to write legibly.

[Mr. Blonde]

I recently completed a study where I found that most people feel less hungry after they eat.

[sageb1]

"Those cared for by friends or grandparents or other relatives did a little better while those looked after by nannies or childminders were rated second only to those cared for by mothers. "

BS

[doug from upland]

What? A baby doesn't do better with two daddies?

[NordP]

Duh.

[jacquej]

Hey, those mother who work are gonna "jihad" you. Are you ready?

It isn't nice to "dis" "dem" "worker bee" moms, you know? And what would happen to the "shop till ya drop" message being sent from the elite east coast thinkers?

God forbid we moms would all go home, cook the basics for our families, sew for them, knit for them, plant veggie gardens, teach the kids at home, etc...

The economy would come to a grinding halt, and we can't have that now, can we?

[Triggerhippie]

Wow, what a coincidence! Just this afternoon I read an earlier study by Penelope Leach titled, "Ye-ouch! Them pins is pointy."

[MarineBrat]

It does seem rather pathetic that we do studies to find out what our grandparents (and most FReepers) knew instinctively.

[foobeca]

shocking, who would have thought?

[foobeca]

Next thing they'll tell is is that men are different from women.

[Dan from Michigan]

And in another story, the Pope is still Catholic, and bears !@#% in the woods.

[bannie]

Didn't God already work this one out.

No need to try to reinvent any of His wheels.

[gardencatz]

Next thing you know they'll be telling us it takes both a man and a woman to make a baby...science is a wonderful thing!

Cindie

[imskylark]

"According to Penelope Leach, a leading British childcare expert and one of the study's authors, the social and emotional development of children cared for by someone other than their mother 'is definitely less good'."

Well, DUHHHH!!!!!