being there

A friend of mine told me that her granddaughter had gotten bitten at daycare - hard enough to see teeth marks.

Now I know that biting is an age-old tactic of the young . But seriously, I have two boys and I can't dream of either one ever doing such a thing. I don't mean they were perfect or didn't fight in any way, but biting just seems to be in such a different category. I would be worried about the amount of aggression/hostility revealed.

But, of course, it happened in day care where a whole universe of copycat activity takes place. I'm sure studies have been done a hundred times over about the contrast of kids raised in daycare, and those who were raised by stay-at-home moms. You certainly must have children who benefited from the stimulation of daycare and thrived there. You certainly must have children who were stunted by the routines of just a regular household.

But in my heart of hearts, I can't help believing that children who are raised within the loving radar of parents guiding, comforting, instructing, joking, supporting them 24/7 turn out differently from those left in purchased hands.

I know there are extenuating circumstances that require daycare. But I would be comforted to know that it's not  just the natural default of modern parents. If you're going to bring a child into this world, do whatever you can to nourish them as completely as you can. And it seems to me that time spent together is  like "apples of gold in pictures of silver."

And probably biting isn't part of that picture.