Today’s news that toddlers who have depressed moms greatly benefit from a few hours of formal day care doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
The Pediatrics study’s most notable finding is that kids who are around depressed mothers are four times as likely to have behavior problems such as depression, anxiety and aggression. Yet half a day in day care significantly reduces the risk of these problems. Why? For one, because day care provides some of the stimulation and support an exhausted, depressed mom can’t give.
As Dr. C. Neill Epperson tells TODAY.com about the value of day care: “A mom needs a mom break – it’s good for everyone’s health.”
We have only one response to that: Hallelujah!
Day care, or any kind of break from the kids, gives all moms much-needed time to reconnect with themselves.
Jessica Lamb, a 37-year-old mother of two from San Jose, Calif., isn’t depressed, but she welcomes the respite she gets from daycare.
Sometimes when her toddler is pushing the limits as all toddlers do, Lamb keeps her cool by focusing on the idea that she’ll have some time to relax the next day when she drops 3 ½ year old Kailani at daycare.
Too much time around a toddler “can not only make you crazy, but also makes you unable to be there fully for your child. You can get so exhausted you’re only half the person you could be,” Lamb said.
Do you think moms benefit from breaks from the kids? What do you like to do when you get a Mommy-break?