Very often when both parents are working, they put off having a child until they are more established in their careers. As a result, women today are having babies at a much older age than earlier. With advances in healthcare and with women being much more conscious about their health today, they really don't panic at the though of having a child at a later age.
On the other hand, there are women who do want to have children, but put it off because their work keeps them too busy to really spend time with their babies - and quitting work for a while is not an option they want to consider at the moment.
The concept of day care is not something many women cherish. Often, only women with financial constraints or those in incredibly well paid jobs will consider continuing office work after having a baby. If a woman is financially comfortable and doesn't need to work, she tends to think that when she has a baby she may have to give up her career, as she doesn't see day care as a good enough substitute for mother's care.
Thus, for many women, having a baby effectively means giving their career a long break, or quitting it completely. And this mindset causes women to put off having children, though they may be torn between wanting to start a family and wanting to continue with work. Women who live with in-laws find it easier to continue with work, as they are confident that their in-laws will look after their children.
Although this may be true, parents often don't realise that a child's brain starts developing at a rapid rate, from the age of one. A child can absorb and learn a lot at this stage - and this is in fact a great time to place your child under professional care.
Learning
When selecting a day care centre for your child, make sure you choose one that offers more than just baby-sitting services. You want a day care centre that offers your child educational toys to play with, and that has teachers who will read to the children and constantly keep talking to them.
Socialising
Your baby will also get used to being around other children, which is an important step in developing social skills. However, if your child is naturally shy, he may stay away from other children even at this young age. In a day care centre this problem can be easily identified. You can then work with the day care teacher to help bring your child out of his shell.
Of course some mothers willingly give up their careers and choose to spend more time with their children, which is great. There is no substitute for mother's love. But if you want to start a family and continue with your career, there is no real reason you should be apprehensive about sending your child to day care. Just be sure you do your homework, and select the best day care centre for you and your child.
