Loving and caring for small children

Abstract

The ways in which mothers - and fathers - organize care for their children in the first three years of life are undergoing cultural and institutional changes all over Europe - and in the Nordic countries in particular. Psychological studies of babies and toddlers bring new knowledge about the capacities and vulnerabilities of small children during these early years, and thus increase the cultural standards for how their development should be supported and protected. I will present and discuss some of the contested issues that are brought to the fore when cultural changes in the everyday practices of care are seen in conjunction with new understanding of the ways in which babies and the toddlers may proceed in their personal developmental trajectories. Such issues relate to babies' right to paid leave of absence for their mothers, the involvement of fathers in continuous care, the introduction of children to early day care, and how welfare policies may influence the actual choices of parents and the possibilities for their children.

Keywords:

• parenting
• babies and toddlers
• child care
• everyday routines
• day care
• welfare policies