[roel_v]

I agree with you, and my children do many things at day care we'd not think about (or not have time to, or not feel like) doing with them at home. But there are (or rather, 'used to be', as in most places in the West the law doesn't allow it any more - I don't know about other places) also many 'child care' facilities where 2 overworked staffers on full-day shifts spend their day running around spoon feeding and changing 20 children ranging in age from 3 months to 4 years in too-small, damp and cold (or hot, depending on climate) buildings, with the 'playground' consisting of concrete, a few half-broken plastic bikes and a swing. The devil is in the details.

[ChrisPebble]

This. There is a massive range in daycare from "your child will be alive when you come back" to "all our staff have degrees in childhood education" (and of course the associated price range).

The same is true of stay-at-home parents. Some get exhausted after a few hours and others thrive in constantly nurturing and teaching their children.

Comparing the two isn't terribly useful unless you break it down further.