Abstract
In the chapter we analyze a Czech popular psychological discourse of early childhood and optimal development in early childhood. As the main method we use critical analysis of text inspired by critical discursive psychology.
In this way we analyze media appearances of Czech popular psychologists related to early development in childhood and impacts of institutionalized childcare. We show that the "expert knowledge" and "objective arguments" which they have used are not based on facts but on conservative values.
The discourse of risks which these people create reproduces a form of power disadvantaging some groups within the Czech population, such as working mothers, single parent families, or low-income families. As a counter-argument to this discourse we present results of international and also some Czech studies which show that high-quality institutional childcare does not harm children and even may be in some cases beneficial.