April 26, 2018
Letting Them Make Their Own Choice

Dr. Laura:

I need to get this off my chest for all the parents who think it is okay to put their kids in daycare.  My wife has always been a stay-at-home mom, and we did what we had to to make that work.  My children came home every day from school to a loving mom who made them snacks and did all the things a loving mother should.

Imagine our distress when our three boys asked to go to after-school care because all their friends did, and they said it was fun!  My wife was crushed, but I had a feeling it would backfire.  We agreed to let them go and told them that this was their first step in making choices of their own.  At dinner every night, we said we would want a full report of their activities in this "after school 'dump your kid' place so you can be selfish and work instead of raising what you brought into this world."

After only one week, they begged us to let them stop going.  It was not as much fun as their friends had told them.  It was boring, and the snacks weren't as good as their mom's, and not one person at the place seemed to care whether they were there or not.  What a great lesson learned!  My boys are fathers themselves now and work very hard to make sure their children come home to a hug and a great snack.

Thank you, Dr. Laura, for driving this message home every day.  Hopefully, this letter will make a difference in getting parents to "do the right thing!"

William




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Posted by Staff at 10:59 AM