Anyone who thinks a parent who uses daycare is not raising their children is sorely misinformed. here are plenty of people who stay at home that dont raise their own kids, the kids raise themselves. I dont use daycare now, as we are able to juggle two careers, but the boys will be attending day camp this summer, and attended daycare in the past. I dont think you can tell me anyone spends more time with their children than my DH and myself. I can see this firsthand, as I live in a neighborhood of SAH's. My kids go fishing with mom and dad whenever the mood strikes us, my kids bake bread. I play baseball (with them of course), we camp every other weekend and take several long vacations annually in our rv. We got out at night with flashlights looking for nightcrawlers for fishing. I dont send them outside to play alone, I (or DH)play with them. They help me bring in and distribute the laundry. This past week, we have been busy expanding our garden (we had a truckload of topsoil delivered), and the boys are helping us (without being asked) with that, and they are helping to pick out some of the vegetables. I was making dinner last night, and you could see three hatted heads working in the garden (DH and the little guys). So cute, I took a pic.
edited to add...
I dont know why so many people, mostly women, have to bash each others choices, especially when you dont know all the facts. When I get those emails of where the husband switches places with the wife and is surprised by the amt of work she does, I laugh. The whole first part of that is running errands, which most working poeple would never waste a half day on, we would do it on our breaks, on the way home from work etc. I do all those things and more, and work.
Everyone has different parenting styles, and some are good parents and some are bad. I dont think the daycare issue has anything to do with that.
Everyone has a right to live their own life, and as long as no one is in danger, I think we should MYOB.