Daycare isn’t a part of every child’s life, but for many kids daycare is just part of their regular schedule. Whether you send your child to daycare after the standard one year of maternity/paternity leave, send them as an infant, or even choose to wait a few years, daycare can provide an educational and fun space for your child to learn and grow.
Many parents choose not to send their children to daycare and prefer to have a parent or a family member be the primary caregiver. Every family has their own dynamic that works for them. If you do choose to send your kids to daycare, there are steps you can take to prepare both you and your child for the transition process.
Find a Daycare Location That You Love and Trust
It’s important that the parents feel 100% comfortable with where they are leaving their children every day. Take time to get to know the people who will be working at the daycare, ensure that you approve of the educational path the daycare intends to implement and just be sure you feel at ease with the space.
Have a Transition Period
The transition period can be as beneficial to the child as it is to the parent. If a parent has been accustomed to having their child at home with them all day every day, their sudden absence around the house can be difficult to cope with. Children who are not accustomed to being left for long periods of time away from their parents can also have difficulty adjusting to their new daily arrangement. A good solution for this is to have a transition period where you send your child to the daycare for half days in the beginning or start with two days a week. The slow ease into the daycare process will make it easier for the child to adjust and to learn that mommy or daddy will always come back for them. Eventually full days will be no problem.
Label Everything
Does your child have a favourite stuffed animal or prized possession? Daycare is the perfect place for these items to get lost. To prevent the breakdown and heartbreak associated with losing something of importance, take some time before sending your child to daycare to properly label everything you send with them. This includes coats, shoes, cups, anything that can be lost or misplaced with someone else’s possessions.
Daycare is a big adjustment for children. If your child has a hard time adjusting to their new routine, don’t lose heart. They will eventually learn that there is so much fun to be had during the day with their new friends that any tears they shed as you leave will soon become less and less. Soon enough, they’ll be thrilled to leave the house to see their favourite friends and caregivers every day.
