Working Mom Lists 4 Reasons Why Making Parents Feel Guilty For Sending Their Kids To Daycare Is ‘Crazy’ — ‘It’s Not Cute’
She insisted that what parents do in regards to childcare shouldn't be judged or shamed.
Lordn | Shutterstock A working mom is firing back at parents who have something judgmental to say about parents who send their kids to daycare.
In a TikTok video, a mom and content creator named Veronica addressed the shame that some people seem to hoist on parents who are juggling full-time jobs and children. She insisted that it's"crazy" to make parents feel guilty for utilizing daycare regardless of why they need the childcare help.
She listed the 4 reasons why parents should never be judged for using daycare:
"I hate the narrative that if you send your kids to daycare, you're not raising them,'' Veronica began in her video. "I see posts on TikTok, and people are like, 'Oh, you know, we made some sacrifices. My kid used to have fun at water day, but now we go to the water park together, and she's better for it.'"
Veronica pointed out that this argument against parents is baseless, considering every family is different, and what may work for some doesn't mean that it'll work for all. She listed reasons why the criticisms should stop, much to the agreement of other commenters who felt the exact same way.
1. It's not an option for every family
Some parents really don't have a choice when it comes to sending their kids to daycare or dropping them off with a nanny during the hours when they're at work.
While there can be financial pros to becoming a stay-at-home parent, including saving money on childcare, there are also cons, especially financially.
In an economy where some parents are struggling to put food on the table and have to skip buying meals just to pay bills, it's unreasonable to expect families to shift to a one-income house when, according to a survey by CouponBirds, eight out of 10 (81.2%) said they are working more hours and taking extra jobs, while almost two-thirds (64 percent) are skipping meals so they can save money to pay for their children.
2. Some kids enjoy attending daycare
In Veronica's case, she pointed out that her daughter enjoys going to daycare, so much so that she looks forward to every day and doesn't want to leave when it's time to get picked up. Things like going to Water Day with the other kids and other field trips are something she enjoys and finds fun.
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"She gets [angry] when I pick her up because she's having fun with her friends," Veronica pointed out.
Daycare allows kids to socialize and learn the skills they need to make friends. It allows them to spend hours being entertained and if a child has fun at daycare, then there should be no reason to pull them out or shame parents for letting them go.
3. Daycare allows kids to learn new things
"She's so smart because they teach her so many things," Veronica continued.
Even if people don't think that kids are learning anything valuable at daycare, just from playing and being active, kids can be taught to follow their own ideas, be creative, and build social and intellectual skills.
4. Parents are still raising their kids despite sending them to daycare.
Veronica personally responded to criticism that parents who send their kids to daycare are using the childcare service as a way for others to raise their kids.
She pointed out that even though her daughter attends daycare, it's only for a short amount of time, and compared to her teacher, she still sees her daughter more.
"I can raise her, and she can still have fun at school. They're not mutually exclusive. So this narrative... this mom shame for working moms, it's gotta go, it's not cute," Veronica insisted.
The decision for parents to send their kids to daycare or not should be a choice they make without hearing outside noise.
Working parents have a lot to juggle, so do stay-at-home parents.
One doesn't trump the other, and the last thing that needs to happen is passing judgment and making assumptions about what type of parent someone is because they choose to either send their kid to daycare or not.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.