The Good,the Bad and the Ugly: Listserv as Support

Abstract

The Internet links people across the world. School children, researchers, and average people use the Internet to get information. For home child care providers, electronic mailing lists provide support and resources in practical ways. Posts to such E-mail lists include requests for modeling clay recipes, suggestions for coping with temper-tantrum throwing children and advice on handling taxes, receipts, and other business-related issues. Home child care providers, primarily women, are isolated workers. Alone all day with small children, they long for adult conversation and stimulation. Furthermore, the majority of home providers (in the United States and in Canada) are untrained caregivers, often lacking skills and education in child care, human development, and guidance. The likelihood for frustration is high. Child care-focused E-mail lists are popular places for providers to "vent." Alarmingly, inappropriate responses to typical child behavior is sometimes also justified and supported through these lists. This paper documents two child care E-mail lists and demonstrates the need for caution in promoting the Internet as a resource, particularly for people/professionals caring for children. The positive aspects of the Internet as a resource and support are profiled and a series of recommendations are proposed for ensuring professional and healthy educational use of the Internet for child care providers - both home providers and staff in licensed, regulated settings.