Infant day care can be a life saver for you, but for your child it can be a bit confusing and even a little scary. If you have been off work since the birth of the child, it can be a truly heart-wrenching experiencing to even fathom leaving the child with mere strangers. But since most families don’t have the financial resources for one parent to stay at home to raise children, day care is a part of the process of raising children that must be addressed. Getting your child ready for infant day care services is tantamount to a successful transition for both you and your infant.
Children are resilient and in most cases, depending on the stage of development, they can easily transition from being home with their parents to going to a child care provider with a little preparation. But this, of course, depends on the infant. Some have separation anxiety and don’t want to be left at all. Others will just blend into the day care setting with ease. There are a few key steps to take to prepare your child for infant day care.
Tips for the First Day
The first day of day care will be a bittersweet one. You are likely anxious to get back to your ordinary routine and start bringing money home again, but you will feel terrible about leaving your infant, who may be crying after you or clinging to you. These tips will help you prepare for the first day, and hopefully the following days will become easier.
• Allow the infant to stay with relatives or friends a few times prior to being placed in the day care setting. This will help the child to adjust to being away from home in a place that is somewhat familiar to them.
• Bring the child’s favorite blanket or toy to day care with them so that they will have a piece of home in unfamiliar surroundings.
• Gather everything that you will need for that first morning the night before. This may include a change of clothing, formula, pacifiers, diapers, and any ointment that you use on the child’s diaper area. Not having to pack everything on the first morning of day care will keep you from rushing around and making the situation even tenser.
• Write down your infant’s schedule, including the times when they like to nap, eat and more. Let the day care provider know how long the child typically naps during the day so that they will know what to expect.
Don’t appear nervous to the child, and no matter what you do – don’t cry. Even the most apprehensive parent must put their game face on so that the child doesn’t become alarmed when the parent leaves. Children are very intuitive and they can easily pick up on body language. Do not make a big deal out of them going, make it appear to be a normal occurrence. Your confidence will put them at ease.
TripelR Child Care is a state licensed Child care in Chandler, Arizona featuring a 9,000 square foot playground state-of-the-art safety equipment. We understand that the safety and well being of a child is on every parents mind. That is why we are proud of our reputation for providing skilled child care in a safe and secure environment for over a decade.