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March 27, 2007
Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity
Do you know what I like best about the news media? I enjoy the fact that for every piece of new research, there are numerous interpretations, and I can decide whether I am guilty or not guilty, whether I made the right choice…or the wrong one.
For example, yesterday a study released by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development reported that “children who received higher quality child care before entering kindergarten had better vocabulary scores in the fifth grade than those who received lower quality care. The study authors also found that the more time children spent in center-based care before kindergarten, the more likely their sixth grade teachers were to report such problem behaviors as ‘gets in many ‘fights,’ ‘disobedient at school,’ and ‘argues a lot.’ ”
This study ran in the New York Times under the headline “Poor Behavior Is Linked to Time in Day Care.” Guilty – I placed my son in day care while I worked full-time.
This same study popped up on “Healthwatch” for CBS News as “Study: Good Child Care Pays Dividends (Finds Link Between Pre-Kindergarten Care And Vocabulary Scores In 5th Grade)” Great – now I’m Not Guilty of making a bad decision when I put my son in day care.
And the study itself goes on to say: “However, the researchers cautioned that the increase in vocabulary and problem behaviors was small, and that the parenting quality was a much more important predictor of child development than was type, quantity or quality of childcare.” In regard to my parenting, I believe there's a hung jury.
To read the study, visit the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development site http://www.nichd.nih.gov/The CBS article can be found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/26/health/main2607694.shtml
Go to http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/us/26center.html?em&ex=1175140800&en=44e7d2347df99b05&ei=5087%0A for the New York Times article.
Today I’m looking for a study that finds “Most mothers doing the best they can!”
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