The first day at daycare is a transition for the baby and the parent. So, the preparation should be top-notch so the first day ends with a happy smile on your kid’s face.
You can discuss the daycare with your kid before. Share some exciting, fun activities they can do there. Give a visit and talk to the caregivers. On your side, you should adjust your schedule, manage your emotions, and build a good relationship with the caregivers.
Let’s talk about these points in depth.
Preparing your baby
The first day in the daycare center is one of the important steps in your kid’s life. They are going to have a transition, and you should prepare them. With proper arrangement and preparation, knowing about do’s and don’ts will help your toddler have a good day in the center rather than cry loudly.
Here is a preparation checklist for your baby.
Visit the Child Care Center
The first day at daycare will be a completely new environment for your kid. This may frighten them. But if you have visited them before, they can be familiar with the environment. This visit will make things easier for the child to adopt.
When you visit, you can talk to the caregivers and roam around the whole center. If permitted, you can take some photos of where your kid will stay. Then, you can talk about them later with your kid.
By visiting the center, you can also see if everything, the environment, and the teachers are good or not.
Talk to Your Child
If your child is mature enough to understand, then you should talk to them. Toddlers or pre-schoolers are mature enough to hear and understand properly.
Give them a reminder before the day that they are going to the daycare. Talking about this shows excitement and happiness. Your tone will affect the kid. If you show excitement when talking about the daycare, how fun it going to be, then the child will also be excited.
Build a Relationship With the Caregiver
Your child notices and observes every little thing of yours. If you talk to the caregivers in a sweet tone in a friendly manner, the kid will notice this. Thus, they will form positive opinions about the caregiver.
You can do this when visiting the center. Talk to the teachers in front of your kid. Try to build a good relationship.
This relationship will also help teach your kid early. Both the teacher and you can work as partners to take care of your kid.
Create a Morning Routine
From birth, your kid has had a morning routine, which will be different when they join daycare. Also, remember that kids are not good with sudden changes. So, you need to create a morning routine and start practicing it earlier from the first day at daycare. By doing so, the kid will get used to the routine. You can adjust the routine if necessary.
Everything will be smooth on the first day. A morning routine can include waking up a bit early, having breakfast, and getting ready. If you start all this all of a sudden, the toddler will get irritated, cry, or be in a bad mood.
Also, in the morning you can share what will happen during the first day in their daycare. For preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners give a brief description. For a more mature kid, you can put a sweet not in their lunchbox with their favorite snacks. This will make them more excited.
Develop a Goodbye Ritual
A goodbye ritual like a goodbye kiss or a hug can be the sweetest start for your child. Many parents become emotional or encourage the toddler to cry while leaving. This can worsen things as the kid may not want to leave you.
Instead, show a happy face. Bid a sweet goodbye. Tell the kid you will play with them after the end of the day. Or something that will please them.
Give Some Comfort Item
Your kid has some specific toy or any item that comforts them. You can give your kid those items in their bag. Whenever they feel upset, the comfort item can make them feel good.
Or you also give some comfort food, or their favorite food item. Some choco chip or a fruit.
But do not make this a habit for your kid. You can give comfort items for a few days.
Preparing Yourself
It is painful for every parent to leave their kid, even if it is for only a couple of hours. But you have to experience this surely, so it is better you stay well prepared.
We already talked about how you can prepare your kid for the first day at daycare; here are some points for you.
Do Your Research
For your preparation as a parent, if you have not selected a daycare, the first thing to do is to search for one. While searching for a good daycare, consider your home location, traveling arrangements, and the center’s quality. The best is to choose a center near your home, especially if your child is too young.
Also, check reviews, ask for recommendations, and make a decision after thorough research. After all, you will be leaving your kid in the daycare alone, and you should not compromise anything.
Manage Emotions
We understand that as parents, you do not want to leave your child alone for a single moment. But its time you manage your emotion and be prepared to send your kid to the daycare center.
If you show emotion as a father or mother, your kid will do it, too. As they are already sensitive, seeing their parents being emotional will affect the kids, too.
Maintain Open Communication with Teachers
Always keep open communication with the caregivers. Ask them as many questions as you want until all inquiries are precise. You are letting your kid stay in the center for a whole day, and for their safety, you should do everything possible. If you maintain open communication with the teacher, you both work together on the kid’s kid growth.
The quality daycare center’s main focus is on children and how they can get the best for their growth.
Do not forget to provide all the important information about your kid to the teacher. Share if there is any particular health issue. Also, give an emergency contact number.
Ask What You Can Do at Home
When you visit the daycare, you can ask the teachers what you can do at home with your child. The caregivers are experienced and have handled thousands of kids as their own. They better know how to handle situations in a better way for your kid. So they can best advise you on how you can ease the transition for your kid.
Prepare Ahead with a Night-Before Checklist
A night-before checklist helps you check and pack all the necessary stuff for your child. You do not want to ruin your baby’s first day at care by forgetting an important item, such as a water bottle. Make a checklist, and review it with other family members in your home so you do not miss anything.
Here is a point to note: Keep the day wear simple and easy to put on and off. It is also easy to wash. There is no need for fancy output. Select a comfortable outfit for your kid to wear in their daycare.
Adjust Your Schedule In Advance
Last, adjust your schedule as you may have an office or anything important to do. If you do not adjust your tasks according to the timing of your baby’s daycare, you may face a hassle. If you are new parents, and these are new to you, you can get help from your household or other family members. Gradually, you will be used to the new routine of your life.
Verdict
If you want your kid to return from their daycare after spending a good time with a happy face, some pre-preparation can make that happen. You can pre-discuss the point with your child so they can have an idea. It is best to visit the center with your child and familiarize them with the environment.
As a parent, make sure you do deep research about the daycare center and find the good one. Check reviews to maintain good relationships with the caregivers.
