Are you a work at home parent? Even though your job doesn't take you away from home, your child may still need daycare. If you telecommute, take a look at the top reasons to choose an out of the home daycare program.

You Can Only Do One Job at a Time

In a perfect world you could pretend play dress-up, finger paint, have a living room dance party, and email your clients all while changing your baby's diaper. Parenting is a full-time job. But so is the job that pays you.

Work at home parents need to work. This means you'll spend at least part of your day responding to emails, writing reports, conferencing with clients, and doing whatever else your job requires. If you're busy with these tasks, how can you also care for your child?

A child care center provides you with the opportunity to work without guilt, interruptions, or anything else you feel or experience daily. You can relax and concentrate on your job, knowing your infant, toddler, or preschooler is well cared for.

Your Child Needs Socialization

Even though you provide plenty of person-to-person interactions, your child may also need additional socialization. The day care environment is a social setting where your child can meet new friends and build communication skills.

In daycare your child will make their first friends, develop trusting relationships with their teachers, and improve social skills they'll need when they transition into kindergarten. Skills such as sharing, taking turns, and listening/speaking don't come naturally to many children. The larger social setting of the early childhood center promotes these types of social learning.

Someday Your Child Will Go to School

Whether your infant has five years until their first day of kindergarten or your preschooler's school journey begins in the fall, a child care center provides the academic and developmental foundations they'll need.

While you may homeschool your preschooler, craft with your toddler, or read to your baby daily, a formal early learning environment offers the chance to explore new concepts and build skills under the guidance of trained teachers.

Everything your child learns in day care will help them as they eventually transition into kindergarten and beyond. From numbers and letters to science, art, music, and creative movement, the activities, lessons, and experiments your tot engages in are more than just pre-k play. When you're at work (at home), your child will prepare for the rest of their education.

Even if you work from home, your child can benefit from daycare. Look into options and centers near you.