Citation

Kontos S, Wells W. Early Child Res. Q. 1986; 1(1): 47-67.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0885-2006(86)90006-2

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

These two studies attempted to determine (1) whether negative evaluations of parents by day care staff should be viewed as a problem in the relationship between caregivers and families and (2) whether children experience day care differently as a function of staff attitudes about the caregiving abilities of their parents. Study I involved two groups of mothers whose childrearing abilities were held in either high or low esteem by the day care staff. Data were gathered using a six-part structured interview that focused on six areas hypothesized to differentiate the two groups; Study 2 focused on whether the children of the two groups of mothers had different experiences in the day care center. Observations of the children's behavior and its context were made in the center. Results of the study revealed that, while the subjective impressions of day care were similar for mothers regardless of caregiver evaluation of them, the objective reality of day care for mothers--as represented by demographic characteristics, conformity to center rules and procedures, childrearing values and beliefs, and communication with center staff--was different. For children, the day care experience appeared to be related more to maternal characteristics than to caregiver attitudes toward the parent.