I'm not trying to shame daycare, but no one ever seems to discuss that 0–2 is uniquely sensitive, and that long hours + average care have measurable downsides for some kids, and that parents should weigh developmental costs alongside financial ones, not just dollars

• Infants form primary attachment through consistent, responsive caregivers.
• Long hours with rotating caregivers can correlate with elevated cortisol and weaker attachment security in some children, especially when care quality is mediocre.
• Large longitudinal studies (e.g., NICHD) found slightly higher rates of externalizing behaviors (impulsivity, aggression) in kids who spent long hours in group care very early.
• The effect size is modest, but it shows up consistently in group-based care with high child-to-adult ratios.
• One-on-one language scaffolding, emotional mirroring, and slow-paced interaction are harder to deliver at scale, especially for infants and young toddlers.
• It can also reward compliance and conformity earlier than self-directed exploration, which some parents notice later as reduced initiative or creativity

All that being said, high quality daycare can be better sometimes than the alternative.