Parents often worry about leaving their babies in daycare, questioning if it’s healthy for them to be away from their primary caregivers for extended periods. However, new findings suggest that even babies as young as six months enjoy and benefit from being in groups with other babies.
According to our book, Babies in Groups, infants gain experiences in daycare that they might miss at home, such as interacting with peers in a supervised environment. These interactions include eating, learning, and playing together.
Historically, our ancestors lived and raised their young in groups, indicating that modern babies are naturally inclined to enjoy group settings. This is evident when observing babies in larger families, playgrounds, or parent groups, where they quickly adapt to group dynamics.
Previous Research
Historically, studies on babies’ social and emotional development focused primarily on their interactions with adults, typically mothers, and were conducted in one-on-one settings. This approach stemmed from cultural assumptions that a stay-at-home mother is crucial for a baby’s healthy development.
Our Research
Over the past 25 years, we have explored whether babies are inherently adapted to group life or if this ability develops after forming their first bonds with adults. Our studies, detailed in our book, involved 51 babies aged six to nine months, who were previously unacquainted, brought into recording studios, and placed in groups.
In these studies, babies were seated in stationary chairs arranged in triangles or squares, while all adults left the room. Unlike previous research where babies quickly became frustrated without adult entertainment, we found that babies introduced to unfamiliar peers could interact happily for up to 25 minutes without toys.
Our recordings show that babies communicate in diverse ways, such as touching, vocalizing, gesturing, and imitating each other. They engage in complex interactions, inventing games, creating music, and comforting each other when distressed.
This evidence indicates that babies have the ability to communicate and form relationships in groups before they develop one-to-one attachments to adults, which typically begin around eight months and continue to evolve.
Implications for Daycare Centers
These findings have significant implications for daycare and early childhood services. Organizing babies into groups can be less stressful for both infants and educators than focusing solely on one-to-one bonds. For instance, mealtimes are more enjoyable and interactive when babies are fed in small groups rather than individually.
Parents should seek daycare centers that recognize and encourage babies’ natural interest and ability to engage with peers. Sending your baby to daycare can be beneficial, allowing them to interact with other children their age.
For parents raising babies at home, involving other infants, whether cousins or friends from playgroups, can enhance your baby’s development and well-being.
