Study reignites debate about how to bring up baby

SYDNEY - It was a message sure to strike anxiety into the hearts of all working mothers with pre-school children.

An Australian study, made public this week, suggests that long hours in childcare are detrimental to a child's development.

The research found that children who spent more than 30 hours a week in non-parental care had significantly lower social skills.

They also had more behavioural problems and did not adjust to their first year in class, according to Dr Kay Margetts, of Melbourne University's education faculty.

"They have lower levels of social skills, higher levels of problem behaviour, difficulty managing conflict, hyperactive types of behaviour and lower levels of academic competence," she said.

"What the early brain research is showing us is that children tend to thrive better when they have individualised care in those early years."

Dr Margetts based her findings on 212 first-year pupils at four Melbourne state primary schools.

The report was not all bad news for working parents. Three and four-year-olds who attended kindergarten a few days a week were better prepared for formal schooling.

Nevertheless, worried parents flooded the switchboards at Melbourne talkback radio stations.

There was anger, too, with one mother asking: "When are academics going to stop trying to make parents feel guilty?"

Kay Hourigan said she returned to work when her daughter was six weeks old, which was normal in her native Britain.

"Her only difficulty in settling into school occurred when she was eight and we migrated to Australia," she said.

"She had trouble understanding the Australian English of her teachers."

The problem for parents is that different studies offer conflicting advice. Long hours in childcare have been both blamed for bad behaviour and credited with developing social skills.

Australian Institute of Family Studies deputy director Ann Sanson said her basic message to parents was "don't panic".

"From my knowledge of the literature, the majority of studies out there suggest that childcare doesn't have bad effects on children, as long as the quality of the care is positive," she said.

The institute, an independent statutory body, is beginning its own 10-year nationwide study into early childhood development, following the progress of 5000 babies and 5000 four-year-olds.

Victorian Community Services Minister Bronwyn Pike said debate was healthy, but hoped it did not lead to people thinking that mothers worked solely because of greed.

Meanwhile, federal Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Larry Anthony criticised the report, saying it focused on a single issue rather than looking at the complete picture.

"Personally, I believe that the ideal situation for a child is to be at home in a loving environment with a parent who encourages them to learn," he said.

"However, it is a reality that many families cannot afford to pass up work to meet their commitment."

His last comment is ironic given that, in five weeks, Australia and the United States will be the only developed countries in the world not to give new mothers mandatory paid leave.

In New Zealand, legislation will come into effect in July allowing for up to 12 weeks' paid parental leave.

That issue received another public airing on this side of the Tasman last month when federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward released a discussion paper outlining five alternatives for a national scheme.

A subsequent opinion poll showed that three in four Australians supported paid leave for new mothers, with two in three backing a scheme jointly funded by the government, business and employees.

However, the matter was sidelined in last week's federal budget, which included no measures for paid maternity leave or help with childcare costs.

Despite the debate over the pros and cons of parents getting others to look after their offspring, only a minority of Australia's 733,000 children under 12 attend formal childcare.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, the proportion was 20 per cent, while for babies under one it was nine per cent.

Many Melbourne mums who use childcare said they remained comfortable doing so, including Sylviana Spiterri, whose daughter, Keely, spends five days and up to 50 hours a week there.

"She gets all her social, cognitive and emotional developmental needs met every day on a daily basis and the carers she's with are consistent with that," she said.

"It's good because it's almost like an extended family for her."

Another mother, Linda Perry, believed that her three-year-old, Jessica, had suffered no adverse effects from almost full-time attendance at a day centre.

"She loves childcare," she said. "She's stimulated by all the activities they have, which I couldn't possibly do at home, I don't think."

For other mothers, the choice of who would look after baby was a personal one.

"We need a new car, kitchen, other work to be done on the house, but that can wait," Sophie Apperly said. "You can't get this time again."

- NZPA

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