Interesting that this discussion is still conducted like in the last millennium ... and equally interesting that women still betray each other in the process. My experience as a layperson: After the reunification, employees socialized in the former GDR (I assume the education system of the former GDR is known) came to our company here in the West. The entire team also did a lot together privately, since we were all the same age and employed in the university sector. So I think I can form an opinion. None of them seemed to me more or less "damaged" than the employees raised/grown up here in the West. The only difference I thought I perceived was that the employees from the former GDR appeared to me to be more socially competent. For example, they brought cake more often, helped more with the preparation of Christmas parties, thought more often of colleagues’ birthdays, etc. From my point of view, this could well be related to the fact that they learned very early on to interact with other social beings and also to be confronted with their needs. Regarding personal happiness, private lifestyle, and professional success, I could not detect any difference in persons who were not exclusively cared for by the mother or father during their first years of life.
Of course, this is one way to sugarcoat the lack of interest in a more intensive engagement with one’s own offspring. Otherwise, no one can reasonably explain why they let their child be cared for by strangers for 9-10 hours starting at one year old, and yes, to me that is tantamount to shirking responsibility (Note: single mothers/fathers excepted!). I believe no one would get so outraged if the child went to daycare part-time to learn important social skills in interaction with strangers. But 9-10 hours, come on, you just have to sugarcoat that, there is no plausible argument for it. But all good, you’re doing it, and your offspring will surely thank you someday. One child in one way, another possibly in a completely different way.