Poking Fun at Child Care

07/01/2011

It’s a serious mistake to see young children mostly as future older children, nor should any child be seen as just an adult in the making.
Alfie Kohn, The Homework Myth

On June 22, the Arkansas Democrat and Gazette published a full-page cartoon on getting baby to "day care." We could not get permission to provide a link to this cartoon, but Bettye Caldwell's letter to the editor in response will give you an idea of the tone...

"Obviously the cartoon, 'Daddy Saves the Day' filling the front page of the Family section... was meant to be funny. I, for one, did not find it amusing. I think it reflects a sad preoccupation of many parents — 'How can we get our children into the child care center earlier and allow them to stay after hours?'

"Having spent many professional years working to improve quality in child care, I deplore anything that makes light of the field. And I cringe at the reminder that many parents seem to have no awareness of the needs of the child care workers.... But my greatest objection to the cartoon is its implication that the transfer of a child from home to care is not something that needs to be done carefully and lovingly. Just put him in a jet pack and blast him to child care; shrink him to pocket size so he will fit in your backpack all day; dig a tunnel from home to child care and install a baby-size pneumatic tube....

"I like to laugh as much as anybody, but I don't like to laugh at the expense of disparagement of a vital service to children and parents."

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