The intent of this paper was to understand the motherly conceptions about childhood through the interpretation of speeches obtained from interviews with 30 mothers, where 15 of them make use of the public education system for children. The analysis of the interviews were made through categories that appeared in the speeches, grouped in four different topics: (1) The children today: characteristics and needs, (2) Difficulties for nurturing nowadays, (3) Common mistakes in children's education and (4) Masculine participation in children's care and education. The data found pointed out similarities in the conceptions of mothers that use the infant day care public system and those that do not use it, mainly related to subjects that involve childhood and practices of care and education in the family context. It was discussed the influence of collective setting use on parents ideas about family education.
childhood; maternal conceptions; day care centers; childhood education policies
