Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Young children still stay home or with nanna
The vast majority of Maltese children under five years of age stay at home with their mothers or with their grandparents instead of attending childcare centres, according to figures released by Eurostat.
With only eight per cent of children under three attending childcare centres during 2006, the Maltese rank among the least to make use of such services in Europe, the figures show. The EU average stands at 26 per cent.
Among the children of this age group who do use childcare centres, more than half attend for less than 29 hours a week.
Even though the numbers grow when it comes to children aged between three and five years, Malta still ranks at the end of the scale when compared to the other EU member states. In 2006, just 57 per cent of children in that age bracket attended formal childcare with the rest either staying at home or with their grandparents. Again, the EU average here stands at 84 per cent.
The only other countries in the EU with more children in this age bracket not attending formal childcare facilities were Lithuania and Poland.
For children younger than three the highest percentages of attendees were recorded in Denmark (73 per cent), the Netherlands (45 per cent) and Sweden (44 per cent), and the lowest in the Czech Republic and Poland (both at two per cent).
For children aged three to compulsory school age, the highest proportions were observed in Belgium (98 per cent), Denmark (96 per cent) and France (94 per cent).
The statistics for Malta tally with the results of a local survey which showed that 68.2 per cent of respondents believe mothers and grandmothers are the best form of childcare.
Only a quarter put their trust in formal childcare services, according to the survey report by Economic and Management Consultancy Services.
Studies abroad have shown that going to good-quality pre-school childcare heightens the chances of academic achievement later in school.
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isabella peresso fiorentino
Dec 13th 2008, 21:30
Ms Ellul - My child is also very precious to my husband and myself. It doesn't mean that by sending one's child to a day-care centre one is "dumping one's child" as you seem to imply.
We sent our child to day-care at eighteen months and we are proud to say that not once did we ever rely on any baby-sitter or nanna or nannu. We combined our working hours with the day-care. Me working part-time and my husband being a freelancer.
Day-care centre has helped our son tremendously. Today he is five years old, very independent, happy and a very loving child. Given the choice, I would do the same all over again, at least I wouldn't have to share the upbringing of my child with any grandparent.
Miriam Ellul
Dec 11th 2008, 10:34
If I were to start all over again I will certainly do the same.. i.e. leave my children of under 3 years with my parents....My children were (and of course still are) very precious to me to leave them with some unknown stranger (with all due respect to these private child care centers). But, as I always say, this is my opinion. My daughters grew up with nanna and nannu until they were 4-5 years before they went to kinder. Today they both achieved the goals they wanted and most of all they both have good qualities and moral values which they acquired in their early years! They have wonderful memories of their childhood which they passed together with their cousins at nanna's house. Even mum and dad still recall those loving memories when they see how they have grown up and would like to pay the world to bring back that time. Why should they all be deprived of this?
Unfortunately there are children who aren't so lucky for various reasons. Here it is up to the mum to do her homework very well before she leaves her child in other people's trust.
Joseph M. Muscat
Dec 9th 2008, 19:33
I am a 59 year grandparent of a seven year old child named Kendra, and due to family circumstances I welcome her to my home especially weekends, it is my joy to spend a lot of my idle time with my granddaughter; we play games, go out to Buskett, she helps feed my canaries and most of all she is a wonderful companion to my wife who recently lost both her ageing mum and her elder sister.Children are a God-send they unite families, they bring joy to all at home and they make us grand-parents relive our youthful lives. Our granddaughter already shows a very social tendency to mix well with people and willing to listen and learn from grandpa and grandma life-long experiences.
Vincent Galea
Dec 9th 2008, 15:16
Most of my friends grew up without grandparents.So having a grandparent is very special.
Life begins with not only having loving and devoted parents but also with the benefit of many adoring grand parents.
I suggest that young children should take full advantage of this benefit. Hear from much we do and don't. Do request our help with your homework and with school projects.Pester us to play some game with you ( you know we will let you win ) Call us on some wintry night and say 'Hello' It will send warmth more than an electric blanket. Ask us about our lives when we were younger.
We just love to reminisce. We never seem to run out of love.
There has been many changes in the world over the decades- styles have changed and new technology makes the world seem totally new.
But underlying all of this is a basic human nature that remains the same. People's feelings and motivations are largely consistent with what they have always been. A 1000 year ago man didn't know what a mobile was but he would understand if everybody had one and you don't
Wilfred L Camilleri
Dec 9th 2008, 15:14
Sending three-year old kids to child care centers is not necessarily the best option and at that age it's better if parents or grandparents look after them. Child care centers in North America are nothing more than a government-subsidized babysitting service. There's absolutely nothing wrong will three-year old kids hanging on to "their mother's apron springs" as V. Farrugia said. Kids that age have much more to gain from being nurtured by their parents than by the state!
V Farrugia
Dec 9th 2008, 13:04
Our child-care centres are called Kindergartens, and they are full of 3 year-olds. And no, there is nothing wrong with sending them to Kindergarten at that age, it helps children socialize, learn the school-time routine and teaches them at an early age to be more independent than those kids that are all the time tied to their mother's apron strings.
While mothers want the best for their children, we don't always know best.
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Dec 9th 2008, 12:16
We should be proud that the vast majority of our children under five are cared for all the time by their mother/father or at the worst by their grandparents. This is well proven to be the best for them.
M. Tabone
Dec 9th 2008, 10:48
The study failed to mention that with the average Maltese salary only few families can afford these childcare centres and only those who cannot do otherwise they take them there!! This is the reality in Malta.