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Child guru says nurseries harm small children
The Sunday Times ^ | February 12, 2006 | Sian Griffiths

Posted on 02/12/2006 9:10:43 AM PST by tbird5

The Sunday Times - Britain

The Sunday Times February 12, 2006

Child guru says nurseries harm small children Sian Griffiths ONE of the world’s most popular parenting gurus is to warn that placing children younger than three in nurseries risks damaging their development.

Steve Biddulph, whose books have sold more than 4m copies worldwide, says that instead of subsidising nurseries, which do a “second-rate” job, the government should put in place policies to enable mothers to stay at home with their babies.

The advice signals a reversal of views for Biddulph, an Australian with more than 20 years’ experience as a therapist, whose previous bestsellers include Raising Boys and Raising Girls.

In his new book Biddulph will admit he has changed his mind because of growing evidence of increased aggression, antisocial behaviour and other problems among children who have spent a large part of their infancy being cared for away from home.

He argues that such children may have problems developing close relationships later.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: captainobvious; daycare; daydreambelievers; holierthanthou; imbetterthanyou; momisbest; moralabsolutes; nannystate; psychology
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To: silverleaf

I think the suicide stuff happens after nursery school... They are very competative there, you have to get A+'s, not B's or even A's, to get into a good school. The school you go to determines your whole future. And the company you work for becomes a part of your family. They don't fire you - if you suck, they stick you in an office and let you rot all day. Its considered the lowest place to be in the world, and if you find yourself "useless" then suicide is often the only way out.

All that aside, I still like their nusery school idea.


21 posted on 02/12/2006 9:34:16 AM PST by mudblood
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To: narby
>>Children end up teaching each other how to interact with other humans, rather than learning from an adult how to interact.<<

I think you are very right here. And from the nurseries, children further their social skills from television and Hollywood. During my career I have had many co-workers and supervisors whose odd behaviors could easily be cast in Seinfeld. And it is getting worse. Few younger Americans have any significant social skills. They deal with others like they are on a series of Law and Order.

22 posted on 02/12/2006 9:34:18 AM PST by Muleteam1
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To: tbird5

No one seems to ask what a single mom is supposed to do?

Stay home and live off of govt assistance to raise her kids or put the child in day care while she makes a living?

It's easy to sit back and say that everyone should stay home and raise their kids, but for some of us that just isn't available as an option. :-/


23 posted on 02/12/2006 9:37:47 AM PST by RMDupree (HHD: Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/)
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To: tbird5

bump


24 posted on 02/12/2006 9:37:55 AM PST by VOA
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To: silverleaf

when we had our first of three children 12 years ago, I stayed home with them and I loved it! I think I have much better children because of it but most importantly I believe that I "know" my children better than I ever would otherwise.

It was hard and we sacrificed financially and we had a hard time paying the bills...but we did it...it wasn't fun though and it didn't make me happy to be the "poor relation" but now that they are all in school and I work part time I know that I did the right thing.

The hardest part of it, though, was that I was one of the only ones doing it! I didn't have a support system(as my mother and her mother had) of other stay at home moms. I really needed that support and sounding board sometimes yet it wasn't there and I feel that I really missed out on something great!


25 posted on 02/12/2006 9:37:59 AM PST by annelizly
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To: Popman
"My wife and I have always called daycare centers "baby prisons"
Flame away."

No flaming here!

I agree! I also like the term "baby prisons". Mind if I incorporate that in my description of them.

I usually call them "daycare" centers where the people that "watch" them could care less. It's no wonder they have trouble developing "close relationships". They didn't have ANY when they were young. They were treated like furniture. Still people will get all pissed off at you and claim their child is the exception. While behind the scenes they are outright MONSTERS - those parents don't want to admit that small fact.
26 posted on 02/12/2006 9:42:32 AM PST by nmh (Intelligent people believe in Intelligent Design (God))
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To: mudblood

And if the "big kids" are sadistic bullies, what happens?


27 posted on 02/12/2006 9:43:00 AM PST by Politicalmom (Must I use a sarcasm tag?)
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To: tbird5
It is PARENTS that need to care for their kids - not government subsiding them to care for their kids.
28 posted on 02/12/2006 9:43:30 AM PST by nmh (Intelligent people believe in Intelligent Design (God))
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To: Popman
Right on.

Mts don-o has said you don't hire another woman to love and care for your husband. Why do so for your children?

29 posted on 02/12/2006 9:45:20 AM PST by don-o (Don't be a Freeploader. Do the right thing. Become a Monthly Donor!)
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To: tbird5

What?! dumping your 3 year old and younger kid off so a stranger can raise them, does them harm????????????amazing!!!!!!


30 posted on 02/12/2006 9:45:30 AM PST by JABBERBONK
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To: tbird5

Author is pretty right except the government should not interfere with the parent's raising of their children.


31 posted on 02/12/2006 9:49:26 AM PST by freekitty
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To: annelizly

You unintentionally raise a good point. My wife would be MISERABLE staying at home with our son; she has said so herself...she would get stir crazy and lonely. Nothing harms a child more than a persistently and visibly unhappy parent.


32 posted on 02/12/2006 9:51:31 AM PST by dinoparty
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To: RMDupree

"No one seems to ask what a single mom is supposed to do?"

Now is the time to slowly turn everything back. Those who say divorce is OK, need to stop and tell of the harm to children and parents. The government has been supporting out of wed lock preganacies and that needs to stop. We now have a new generation fed lies from the liberals and the truth needs to speak louder. Divorce is not an option when you have small children. As the article states, most parents of day care children are professionals and married, who chose money over love and sacrifice. Most of the people I know who have their babies in day care are married!


33 posted on 02/12/2006 9:51:39 AM PST by tbird5
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To: tbird5
It's nuts to send kids younger than three to day care. If at all possible it should be avoided. Not just my opinion, but that of a friend of mine, with a degree in education who runs the educational dept. of a major museum. One or two short days a week of playing with other kids at a very small reliable play center is ok. Obviously this is the ideal, but working single moms have to make unfortunate choices sometimes, which is tough on the kids.
34 posted on 02/12/2006 9:51:48 AM PST by veronica
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To: dinoparty

Yes no one wants an unhappy parent. But want about the unhappy child. When you buy a house and car you have to take care of it. Why does no one HAVE TO take care of a child?


35 posted on 02/12/2006 9:55:15 AM PST by tbird5
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To: tbird5
Divorce is not an option when you have small children.

So it's better to stay in an unhappy and volatile marriage?

I daresay that would be far more harmful to the children.

36 posted on 02/12/2006 9:56:53 AM PST by RMDupree (HHD: Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/)
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To: Cvengr
>> The only nursuries that really harm children are the ones with man eating plants in them, next to the phylladundrum.

Watch out for nursuries growing cannabis next to phylladundrums, too, they will affect your spelling :-)

37 posted on 02/12/2006 9:56:58 AM PST by T'wit (Liberals called our Vietnam troops baby killers. They've since sponsored 45 million abortions.)
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To: tbird5

My point is that under certain circumstances, a child with a happy mother AND a happy babysitter is HAPPIER than a child with only an unhappy mother.


38 posted on 02/12/2006 9:57:05 AM PST by dinoparty
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To: RMDupree
That's true. I have a very close friend who is a single mom, and I have made myself available since her baby was born to babysit once a week, when she has to work. I have a been steadfast presence in the baby's life for almost two years. Friends and relatives would do well to step up to the plate and make a difference in a baby's life. It's very rewarding for me and I know it benefits the baby. I think friends and relatives can fill a role, even if it's just once a week or so.
39 posted on 02/12/2006 9:58:39 AM PST by veronica
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To: Politicalmom

"big kids"

The teacher (or whatever you call her) is there for more than a salary. It seems that big kid bullies would be less likely to materialize, because they would have grown up in this environment as small kids who learned one way or another how to behave. But if the big kids were, in fact, bullies, then it seems likely (though I have no proof) that the teacher would then have to step in. The video I saw had a big kid - a girl - pulling another kid away who was hitting people. She pulled him away and sat him down and held on to him and controlled him until he got his act together. All I can say is that I thought this was great stuff.


40 posted on 02/12/2006 9:59:53 AM PST by mudblood
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