How nurseries 'still breed aggression' (New study points out behavior problems r/t daycare)

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | March 26, 2007 | Sarah Womack

[Stoat]

How nurseries 'still breed aggression'

By Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent
 

Last Updated: 1:15am BST 26/03/2007

 

 

Children who spend a lot of time in nursery are more likely to be aggressive and disobedient throughout primary school - no matter how excellent the nursery, according to study published today.

Primary school teachers are more likely to say that such children - even at the age of 11 - are still "getting into fights" or "arguing a lot".

The findings, from a continuing study of nearly 1,400 children, reignite the debate about whether working women damage their children's health by putting them into nurseries too young. They also provide ammunition to those who accuse the Government of pressurising mothers back to work too early to reduce the benefits bill.

However, the findings are controversial. Other experts say that so many factors account for behaviour - genes, parental income and education, family life - that it is wrong to blame nurseries and alarm parents. Even the study's authors have fallen out about the way the findings are being presented.

One of them, who wished to remain anonymous, accused lead author Jay Belsky, the director of the Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues at Birkbeck College, University of London, of "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theatre by exaggerating the negative.

The study also found, for example, that children in high-quality care were more articulate at the age of 10, with a bigger vocabulary.

The research, published in the Easter edition of the journal Child Development, and carried out by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in America, began studying 1,364 children at one month of age.

The most comprehensive study of child care to date, it measured the amount, type and quality of care that the children experienced from birth through to the age of four and a half, and their emotional and linguistic development to 11. Prof Belsky said the findings were important because it had been assumed that poor-quality nurseries were bad for children, not high-quality ones.

"Good quality care simply does not protect against these developmental consequences (like aggression), I am truly sorry to say, at least not in the USA," the psychology professor said.

Parents frequently pay £12,000 to £16,000 a year in places such as London and the Home Counties to send children to a local nursery.

For example, Little Unicorn Day Nursery in Canary Wharf, east London, costs £16,200 a year for a child under two, and £13,500 for an older child attending full-time. This compares with the annual fees charged by public schools such as Dulwich College (£11,895) and St Paul's (£14,000).

Unlike schools, however, nurseries operate 51 weeks a year and are often open between 7.30am and 7pm.

But other authors involved in the research stressed that parenting quality was a "much more important predictor of child development than type, quantity, or quality, of child care".

Walter Gilliam, the assistant professor of child psychiatry and psychology at Yale University, who was not involved in the project, said the study had limitations.

"The relationship between the amount of (nursery) care a child receives and behavioural problems may not be due solely to the child care, but to parents working longer and later hours, the stress and home difficulties that may go along with those work conditions, and other factors related to families that need to work difficult hours," he said.

Prof Belsky acknowledged that it was a "developmental mystery" why children exposed to nursery were more aggressive - although lack of trained staff, and lack of time to tackle rows over toys or activities were factors.

Prof Belsky caused controversy in the US in 2001, with researchers questioning whether their controversial work on another study had been misrepresented. Their findings showed that the more time children spent in child care, the more likely their teachers were to report behaviour problems such as aggression in kindergarten.

The professor retorted that they were "running from this data like a nuclear bomb went off" because they were committed to putting an approving stamp on child care.

[Stoat]

Mom's List Ping :-)

[Stoat]

Education Ping

[Stoat]

Liberalism breeds aggression...from me, anyway.

;)

Yes, there's that too  :-)

Liberalism breeds aggression...from me, anyway.

;)

[brytlea]

Hmmm, whoda thought that raising small children in herds might not be ideal?
Truthfully, I don't think there is much of a mystery here. Children in groups of like aged children HAVE to be more aggressive, louder, more insistent, etc, if they hope to get any attention or anything else.
When my boys were young, I noticed that I could very quickly tell which of their friends were day care babies simply by their behavior. It was almost fool proof. The loud/aggressive ones invariabley spent alot of time in day care.
I'm also not surprised that no one wants to hear this, as it's terribly inconvenient.
susie

[Stoat]

There's no substitute for Mom and Dad :-)

[~OregonSandy~]

It is inconvient for a lot of people. I know there are some that have no choice in the matter of working but I know a lot of moms who frankly can't stand to be around their kids all day. I wonder then...why have them at all? I've been a SAHM for almost 8 years now and have another year before my youngest is in Kindergarten. At that point, I will return to teaching as a sub and still be home when they are home. We've not had a lot of material possessions these last 8 years but what we do have can never be bought with money.

[brytlea]

Good for you. I did the same thing, and my now grown boys were the better for it. Even more telling, they want their wives to stay home with their kids (when they have them).
It wasn't always easy, we had old junker cars and didn't take vacations other than to family very often. I bought most of their clothes at the cheap stores, and we almost never ate out. But, I would not trade the wonderful memories for any thing.
susie

[metmom]

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the "other" articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. If you want on/off this list, please freepmail me. The main Homeschool Ping List by DaveLoneRanger handles the homeschool-specific articles.

[pepperdog]

"Children who spend a lot of time in nursery are more likely to be aggressive....The study also found, for example, that children in high-quality care were more articulate at the age of 10, with a bigger vocabulary."

I don't know why, but this caused me to laugh hysterically. Maybe they can cuss each other out using bigger words? Natural born killer with large vocabulary? Talk you to death? Arrrgh!

[metmom]

Same story here, exactly. There are some things money can't buy.

[Stoat]

Thank you very much for pinging your list   :-)

 

[redheadtoo]

I recall something I read years ago, I'm sorry but I have no recollection of the source.

An American couple, working in China, decided to put their toddler in a government preschool. Soon the teachers reported that their child was being disruptive.

The horrified mother went to the preschool to see just what terrible things her child was doing. She found her son quietly playing, interacting normally with toys and people, while the "good" children sat in rows like automatons not moving or speaking, just staring into space.

She quickly removed her son from that environment and the couple left their jobs and returned home to the states.

[metmom]

Unlike schools, however, nurseries operate 51 weeks a year and are often open between 7.30am and 7pm.

How pathetic.

[brytlea]

You got that right. BTW my Mom worked while I was growing up, and altho I loved my Mom, I gotta say, I resented going to a nursery and not having a Mom home when I got home from school.
susie

[ApplegateRanch]

Children who spend a lot of time in nursery are more likely to be aggressive

So, if we took Muslim children out of their daycare madrassas...

[ApplegateRanch]

The loud/aggressive ones invariabley spent alot of time in day care.

On the bright side, they make fantastic Amway dealers when they grow up!

Thinking that over, let's ditch the day care.

[Bosco]

I had a discussion in the early 90's with a Christian psychologist about this very thing. It was in the context of kids/schools/crime. He essentially said that if we thought things were bad then (90's), wait until the daycare generation grew up. Terms used: psychopathic/anti-social behavior. Violence was assumed.

[Verginius Rufus]

From the headline, I thought the article was going to be about attack rhododendrons.