How To Make A Smooth Transition To Child Care
Even if you've picked a high-quality child care facility, the transition to daycare can bring challenges for you and your child. Here are some ways to make the process smoother for everyone.
Visit the Facility
First of all, you can make everyone feel more comfortable with the staff before the child care begins. Make visits with your child to see the facility and start to form relationships with the staff members. Seeing how well your child interacts with the staff can also help to put your mind at ease that they will be well taken care of.
Many child care facilities have visit policies, but if not, you should try to set up a few sessions where you come to the facility, walk around with your child, play with some of the toys, and interact with the staff together. This can help your child understand how to behave in the new environment, and show them that daycare can be fun.
Spend More Time Apart
Before you put your child into daycare, it can also be a good idea to spend gradually more time apart from your child. For instance, you might have a close family member watch your child some days before they start attending the child care center. This will give you and your child an idea of what it will be like to be apart for the day, without the all-at-once shock of leaving your child with someone outside of the family.
Be Prepared to Be Positive
Sending your child to a child care center for the first time is a big step in their development; it marks the first time that they are starting to go out on their own as a child. This moment can be bittersweet for many parents, and it's important to consider how you feel about it before the moment when your child starts daycare. If you have a very positive reaction on the first day of daycare, your child will be able to sense that and will be able to go into the experience with a positive expectation.
If you follow the steps here, you can help your child start daycare with a running start. Of course, some homesickness may come up, so you may want to let the staff know that they can contact you with any issues that your child may have in the first few weeks of care. For more advice, talk to a child care center like Learning Tree Schools.
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