Psycho L1 Why granny shouldn’t look after the kids Amelia Hill, education correspondent Sunday February 27, 2005 Observer 1 Hard-pressed parents who rely on grandparents or other relatives to look after their children rather than pay professionals could damage their offspring development. Research to be published next month in the Economic Journal reveals that richer families who use the unpaid services of their own parents would do better to seek high-quality childcare. 5 The study also found that a child’s development was not affected if their mother returned to work within 18 months of giving birth, as long as the childcare was professional. Nursery education could actually be beneficial for a child’s development when compared with staying at home with a non-working mother, it found. Grandparents might fail to give the best care for many reasons, including being out of practice since bringing up their children decades ago. They might have outdated ideas on discipline and be physically 10 unable to play with the young. “ Is early maternal employment bad for children ? The answer is, generally, no.” said Paul Gregg, author of the study, ‘The Effects of a Mother’s Return to Work’. Using data on 7,000 children born in the early Nineties in Avon, which includes Bath and Bristol, the study looked at how a mother’s employment in the first three years of a child’s life affected the child’s learning and behaviour up to 15 the age of seven. ‘It turns out that only those children from more advantaged households whose non-parental care consists solely of unpaid care by a friend, relative or neighbour experienced significant detrimental effects,’ said Gregg, who works at the Center for Market and Public Organisation at the University of Bristol. ‘The use of unpaid childcare seems to protect such children from any negative effects and attendance at a nursery 20 may actually lead to better cognitive outcomes than for children at home with a non-working mother.’ Around one in every four mothers who return to full-time work within 18 months – 6 percent of all mothers – relies solely on unpaid relatives, friends or neighbours to look after their children. ‘Short periods of care by relatives appear not to be damaging,’ said Gregg. ‘It is sole reliance on relatives that appears harmful..’ 25 Other studies showing that mothers who returned to work in the first year after giving birth have children with poorer learning and behaviour were not adjusted to account for other risk factors. For example, if a mother works because household income is very low, the study found any detrimental link between mothers working and children’s learning could instead be to do with the impact of poverty. Worksheet I – 1 - Who ? ………………………………………………………………………… 2 - Where ? ………………………………………………………………………... 3 - When ? …………………………………………………………………………. 4 - What ? …………………………………………………………………………. II – Write a summary of this text, using your answers to Q1 and 2 necessary expressions. (60 words maximum) …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. III – Pick out elements in the text which qualify the main character. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. IV – Is it right or wrong ? Circle the correct answer and justify by quoting from the text. 1 – R W This text is the result of a parents’ testimony. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 - R W This text is about the education of teenagers. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 - R W It is not good to leave the care of children to non specialised people. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 - R W A young child is not affected by the absence of their mother when professional nurses are there. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 - R W Motherly care has more significant effects on children than nursery care. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… V – Answer these questions, using your own words, and justify by quoting from the text. 1 – Which problem is raised in this text ? …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 – What conclusions are made on non-professional care ? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3 - What conclusions are made on professional care ? …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 – What are the conclusions of the other studies ? …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. VI – Compare professional and non-professional care. Use comparatives and expressions of comparison. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….