Experts advise: This is the perfect age to start daycare

© Getty Images

How old should a child be when starting daycare?

Do children benefit from an early start or does it harm them?

What is the perfect age to start daycare? Is the child still too young? We'll show you what science says about it.

The decision about when a child goes to kindergarten rests solely with the parents. Some want to, others have to put their child in care when they are one year old. For others it is important that the child is with mom and dad for the first three years.

No matter what age a child starts, scientists have so far agreed that they benefit from their time in kindergarten, especially in terms of social skills and independence.

Author and psychologist Stefanie Stahl, however, sees things a little differently. In an interview with Focus.deshe expressesthat children can also be too young for kindergarten. This would have a negative impact on her later life. What's true now?

Reading tips:

It's about basic trust

As the psychologist explains, contact with their parents is particularly important for children in the first months of life. Through the early positive experience of being safe and secure with them, a child develops a certain basic trust. This will help him learn to deal with stress. His brain learns to regulate stress when the parent is there to help the child.

If a child still lacks this basic trust, i.e. if there are still 'differences' in the child's sense of security, that can be definitely negative. Because these people would react to stress more quickly in later life. Your brain simply wouldn't have learned how to regulate stress.

According to Stahl, this could be easily prevented if parents gave their child time to 're-breed', as she calls it. According to the psychologist, the mother is particularly important for the child in the first year. But even after this first year, he still needs the security that his parents give him. The first two years of life, says Stahl, are very important. She believes that a child is better off with parents during this critical period.

Also read:

What age is ideal for starting daycare?

Studiesplacesuggests that an early start to kindergarten can help children develop basic skills such as communication, peer interaction and conflict resolution. These skills, in turn, can be crucial for later academic success and social adjustment.

However, it is important to note that the quality of kindergarten facilities plays a crucial role. Children benefit most from an early kindergarten start when facilities provide high-quality educational programs that support their cognitive, emotional and social development.

Also read:

The nature of the child itself is also crucial for the success or failure of an early start to daycare. Therefore, parents should of course take their child into account. For some people, separating from their parents won't be difficult after a few visits to daycare together; for others, it will take more time. It is important, if parents can arrange it, to give the child as much time as they need to get used to it.