Do Nannies Matter?
Child psychologists have linked the number of words kids hear at home to economic status. In an important study last decade, Betty Hart and Todd Risley found that children in upper-income homes heard about 2,153 words an hour. Those in welfare families heard only 616…
Professional child-care givers are often even less interested in their cargo than distracted parents… A schoolteacher in a rich Dallas suburb reports that some kindergarten kids arrive with a surprisingly small vocabulary, much of it in Spanish.
Full article on children being raised by nannies.
Why have children if you don’t have time to raise them? I know several parents that have nannies, but most have work schedules such that the nannies only come for a few hours a day.
Educating toddlers involves an investment in time and effort. The act of trying to outsource it to someone willing to work for a lower wage than the biological mom has its pitfalls. Ideally, the nanny needs to have instructions (and a curriculum) for the kids that providers a richer environment than replaying the latest Disney DVD player for the 100th time.
There must be a way here to have your cake and eat it too. Why not have a nanny part time and spend quality time with your child yourself the rest of the time?
Cargo?