With the start of the New Year, comes the first day of day care for many toddlers and infants. The first day that your child attends a day care center where it is not operated by a family friend or relative can be a scary time. Not only for the child, but for you as parents as well. This article will give you some tips for how to make it an easier time. As a parent you need to first condition yourself.
Your child going to a day care center where you do not know the operators personally can be very trying for you. As a parent though you have to set your own feelings aside and be there for your child, as they will look to you to be their “rock”, when you drop them off in the morning. Go ahead and cry if you must, but make sure it is after your drop your child off.
Try to make the day care center as comfortable for your child as possible. One tip is trying to arrange a visit to the center before your child’s “official first day”. Many day care centers will allow you to drop your child off for a day for a couple hours before they start attending full time. This will allow your child to get used to the child care employees at the center. They will also get to meet the other children before attending on a regular basis.
Another thing you can do to make your child feel comfortable at the day care center is to allow them to bring a small toy with them. Check with the day care center first though as they might limit your child to one small toy as if everyone child brought a bunch of toys from home they’d have toys everyone and inevitably they would get lost. Many day care centers also ask that you supply a pillow and cover for nap time for your child. Make this fun, get your child a pillow and cover with a character that they really like. This way they will look forward to nap time on that first day (and subsequent days) instead of dreading it.
Speaking of looking forward to something, many children look forward to lunch time. Most day care centers have parents send lunch for their children. Your child’s first day at day care is not the day to try something new for lunch. Make sure you send one of their favorite foods, again this will help them feel more comfortable.
To finish up, let’s address the start of the day for your child. Many parents want to stay with their child for several hours on their first day of day care. In reality this can be a bad idea. It just delays your child’s adjustment to the day care provider’s employees. It also discourages your child from socializing with the other children. Instead, go ahead and make a clean break. Chances are that break might be harder for you than your child, keep in mind you are helping them adjust.
The first day, and even the first week or two of day care can be tough on both you and your child. Be prepared for your child to want more attention when they are at home. Your child might also start to have issues sleeping that first week as they develop separation anxiety, comfort them when this happens but don’t let them become too controlling. Don’t be too upset if your child cries when you drop them off, it’s only natural. After a couple weeks you will look back on these first few days of daycare and miss them when your child is jumping out of the car as soon as you pull up to the day car center, yelling “bye” and running in to see his friends.
