Daycare can be a challenging experience for a parent and their toddler. There is a separation that comes with daycare that many parents will struggle with at first. In addition, there is the transition period for their toddler, who may for the first time be watched by people who are not their parents. To help you make the transition to daycare as simple as possible, we have listed four different things you can do to prepare both you and your toddler for the first day of daycare.
Address Your Anxiety
Toddlers pick up on our anxiety pretty well. If we are anxious, their anxiety level will be higher, increasing the chance that they will not take to being left well. One way you can make the experience less anxious on you is by visiting the facility first to see where it is located, how you enter, and if there is anything you will have to take care of on your first day. That way, when you enter with your child, you know exactly where you are going and what you are doing.
Communicate When Leaving
One of the worst things you can do is attempting to sneak away when your child is preoccupied after you arrive. Regardless of their age, let them know that you are leaving as well as when you will be coming back. Make sure they know when you are leaving and when you are coming back by explaining your schedule. It doesn’t have to be long or complex. All you have to do is relate the fact that you will leave and that you will come back.
Understand That Comfort Takes Time
Children can adapt to just about anything. That being said becoming comfortable with new surroundings take time. It is not uncommon for children to take a few weeks to become comfortable with daycare. The important thing is to keep to your schedule and the habit of dropping them off. After a few weeks, the majority of children will adapt.
Bring Something Special From Home
One of the techniques recommended for parents to help their children transition better into daycare is to bring something special from home. Whether it is a favourite blanket or a cherished teddy bear, the more of a connection your child has with it, the more you should bring it. Even though it is an inanimate object, it allows your child some stability with something familiar, providing the starting point for their own self-exploration.
Tiny Hoppers daycare and early learning centres are conveniently located throughout the Ottawa Area (Barrhaven, Bridlewood, Findlay Creek, Kanata North, Orleans, Riverside South, Rockland), Greater Toronto Area (Burlington, Newmarket), Hamilton Area (Stoney Creek Paramount, Stoney Creek Rymal), and Kingston.
