This is a rather gray area.
When my children were under 5, I babysat other kids, or worked parttime jobs, and then my mom babysat. That gave them time with Grandma, with me still being there the majority of the time.
Both of my sisters worked full time, and used daycare, and their children turned out great.
I know it's a cliche, but I do think it's the QUALITY time that counts. What good is a mom who stays home with her kids......and surfs the net all day, or watches tv, and doesn't give her children much attention, if any.
Exactly. My children are nurtured both at daycare and at home.
The problem is that quality time (whatever that is) doen't happen on schedule. My Mom worked when I was growing up, and yeah, I'm ok. But I can tell you that when she came home after work she was tired. I loved my Mom and I know she did what she thought was best, and I treasure the time we DID have together, but I also resented (as a kid) her not being there when I got home.
Everyone does what they will do, and frankly, it's their own business. However, I think people need to make their decisions with their eyes wide open and based on the best information available no matter what they choose.
susie