No alarm clocks needed!
Children and mothers convene at special Child 2005 fair
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By Anna Pakarinen
"In home care there are no awful early-morning wake-ups, or tired evenings. You can plan your daily routine yourself", says Riina Repo.
On Friday the programme of her daughters, Eveliina, 2, and Nea Karaslahti, 5 months, included the obstacle course at the Lapsi 2005 ("Child 2005") fair at the Helsinki Fair Centre.
"I want to follow the growth of my children. The children, for their part, can be at home in a safe environment", says Mari Hintikka, a friend of the Repo family.
"If I could afford it, I would keep the children at home at least until they were three years old.
Both mothers took their firstborns back home when they went on maternity leave for a second time.
Mari Hintikka plans to go back to work in the autumn. She hopes to put her daughters, 4-year-old Henna and one-year-old Henriikka into small-group day-care.
"Day care gives them new kinds of stimuli, helps them learn how to act in a group, and how to accept different people."
The Hintikkas believe that small day-care groups allow more time for the individual needs of the children.
"It is important to learn independence. As they grow, children need more than just their mother and father", Repo adds.
An army of prams gathers in front of the stage. Petra Rasia and Satu Aalto gather their flocks together.
Rasia's children, Aake, 6, Enni, 2, and Ella, 1, are all cared for at home. In addition, Aake goes to preschool for four hours a day.
"Aake went to day care at the age of 8 months. When I went on maternity leave again, it was self-evident that the boy would also stay at home."
Rasia says that in this way she knew how and with whom the child spends his days.
Aalto firmly believes that the home is the best place for a child to grow and develop.
"The child gets the attention of its own mother and enjoys it."
The Aalto family lives in Vantaa and the Rasia family lives in Espoo. There are social contacts for the children and the mothers in the neighbourhood.
"Offering children home care means that the mother must be able to cope. In addition to children who are friends, we need to find grown-up friends for the parent", Aalto points out.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 16.4.2005
More on this subject:
 Half of Finnish pre-school children go to day care
FACTFILE: Municipal day care predominates in Finland
Helsingin Sanomat
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