Problems That Christian Children Have in Daycare

Behavior

• Although poor behavior is not caused by an absence of Christianity, children who have been brought up in a strict Christian household may be unfamiliar or unused to bad behavior. In a day care center with many other children, a Christian child may be exposed to behavior with which his parents would be uncomfortable. For example, a Christian family may not allow their child to say mild curse words which other parents may allow.

Secular teaching

• The teaching at a daycare center may not be based on the Bible or the tenets of Christianity. This may result in children experiencing teaching with which their parents are uncomfortable. For example, while teaching children about the dinosaurs, a daycare center may tell them the creatures were made extinct by a meteor, say some dinosaurs evolved into birds or something else that may make a Christian parent uneasy. Even if the parents are not fundamentalist Christians, the absence of Bible study may be something that troubles the child and the parents.

Separation

• As with children of any religion, the transition from home to daycare causes separation problems due to the absence of a parent. A child who is put into daycare may behave badly at first, and may struggle for attention. This is not a uniquely Christian problem, although a family which places much emphasis on spending time together may see problems when the child is placed into daycare. Although this may diminish over time, it can be traumatic in the initial stages.

Illness

• If a child has been raised in a family environment with little exposure to the outside world, then placing him in daycare will result in a rise in the number of illnesses he gets. This is true regardless of religion. When the child is first enrolled in daycare, he will become ill as his immune system adapts to being around other children. This will eventually diminish, although it can hamstring any attempts by a parent to go back to work.