Good news for working mums: you don't have to feel guilty about putting your kids in daycare.

Children in day care are better off than those left at home, according to a new study.

Being sent to a day care environment or being placed in the care of grandparents was said to boost a child’s ability to perform everyday skills and overall social development.

Researchers from the London School of Economics and Oxford University found there was a five per cent negative impact on the everyday and social skills of children who stayed at home with their primary parent.

The research found that children were benefited by the stimulus offered in external environments. Activities such as painting, singing songs, interacting with new children and adults and even using scissors were found to impact them positively.

Children who attended a day care facility were said to experience a 10 per cent positive impact on every day skills. This impact was only boosted by greater amounts of time spent in that environment.

Oxford University researcher Laurence Roope, who co-wrote the paper, told The Telegraph the key to better development lay in greater interactivity.

"It should give parents some reassurance that nurseries are not going to harm their children, and are likely to be beneficial," he said.

"It seems that what is important is engaging in interactive activities."

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Roope also suggested the generally larger income offered by working parents factored into a child's exposure to greater activities.

"It could be there is a trade-off. Going out to work brings in more money for the family, which leads to more financial security and the ability to partake in more activities," he said.

"But it might mean that the bond between parent and child is not as great, particularly if the parent is tired or stressed."

The news should come as happy relief for working parents who struggle with leaving their children in the hands of others.