Daycare May Benefit Moms Suffering from Depression -- and Their
Kids Enrolling the children of depressed moms in daycare can
have emotional, psychological, and social benefits -- even when
the toddlers get just half a day of care each week, reports CNN.
The study of Australian moms was relatively small -- only 400
families -- but it's the first of its kind to show that children
who get even a few hours of daycare a week when their moms are
suffering from depression had fewer behavioral problems at the
age of five. Researchers theorize that giving the moms a short
break helps them be better parents when they are with their
kids, and that it can also help boost their energy levels --
"It's tiring parenting a child all day, and if you're depressed
even more tiring," explains one professor -- and that the kids
benefit from the socialization at day care, which they may not
get if mom is too depressed to make playdates and Mommy and Me a
priority. "Toddlerhood is a time when social interactions are
very important d