Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 10/19/2005 3:09:00 PM Author: Terri Subject: myths, lies, and fairytales Today at my job as a pre-K teacher I helped out the infant teacher for a moment by holding a six week old baby while the teacher went to the bathroom. What a HUGE responsibility it is to care for an infant! I looked at that baby's face and felt so sad for him. I believe he requires the love and nurturing of a parent or caring family member who will rejoice in every breath he takes. NO daycare environment will ever compare. As soon as the teacher returned she had to put the baby down in order to respond to another infant in the room who was crying. And of course, there were 3 others to care for too! Any parent who thinks that a center with 5 infants per teacher is delivering enough time, body contact, nurturing interaction with their baby is either out of touch with reality or living a lie. This is not to blame the teacher, who in this case is doing her very best, but this is to blame the concept of institutionalized care for infants in an industry with extremely high turnover, low pay, and absurd infant -teacher ratios that only benefit the pocket$ of the corporate execs. Five infants, one teacher. Who believes that this is the optimal ratio for the healthy development of an infant?? Do the parents actually believe that once they depart their baby is held constantly? Do they not realize that it is laying there crying while the teacher is diapering/feeding/cleaning up after 4 others? Do they belive the glossy Center brochures that marketing departments produce? Written by those hwho have never worked a day in a center? Do they accept the ECE"experts" support of daycare for infants because it appears politically correct to agree with the premise of group care and working moms? Sad Sad Sad What a lie that our society will be affected by for the next 100 years unless parents and the industry change drastically. But, the industry is so afraid of criticism, the "experts" so protective of their stale viewpoints, and our society so obsessed with material goods that I dont forsee any significant improvements. Name: Email: Subject

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