Making The Transition To Day Care A Hassle-Free Experience

Sending your child to day care may fill you with a sense of anxiety and apprehension. For the child, the anxiety related to begin attending a day care is multiplied several times over. Being sent to an unfamiliar environment without the comforting presence of Mom and Dad can make the child feel overwhelmed and emotionally distressed. With tact and consideration, you can make the transition for your child smoother and faster.

Easing your child’s transition to day care

There are several steps you can follow to ease your child’s transition to a childcare center.

• ·         Explain what day care is

You can explain to a toddler why they need to be at a separate place from home under the care of other adults for a few hours every day. You can assure them that you’ll always return to pick them up on time and that you are just a call away in case they need anything.

• ·         Inform the daycare staff about your child

Give the childcare center’s administration and the caregivers that would be directly taking care of your child ample information about him/her. Inform them of your child’s food and drug allergies, food preferences and strategies that work to calm them down during times of emotional distress.

• ·         Make the transition gradual

Be sure to make the transition to day care a gradual affair. Begin by spending a couple of hours at the day care along with your child, enabling them to get used to the surroundings and caregivers without the anxiety brought about by your absence. Progress to dropping them off at the day care for whole days.

• ·         Send their favorite food and some extra food as well

If the childcare center allows it, send your child’s favorite food along in a vibrant lunchbox. Infants and toddlers have been seen to consume more food than their regular diet during the first few days of being at a day care. This acts as comfort food for the child. Send an extra bottle of their favorite beverage or an extra snack for your child to meet this purpose.

Helping your child adjust to a day care environment is not an onus solely placed upon you. The quality of the day care also plays an essential role in determining how well your child fares in their new surroundings. Quality daycares such as the Williamsburg Northside Infant & Toddler Center in Brooklyn, NY can ensure that your child is well taken care of and is engaged in fruitful recreational activities. The Brooklyn childcare center helps children reach crucial developmental milestones during their time there.