Kids grow up very fast and for some transitioning to a new way of life can be daunting. Most parents never know what to do or say in some situations, especially when their little ones are about to start daycare.
Yes, you can read reviews about the daycare in so many online sources, or social platforms. However, that does not guarantee that your baby will like it or enjoy time there. Parents often know what is best. It is the small challenges that life offers that make some things hard.
As much as you can ask for some recommendations on best daycares to take your kid, you can also do your own research. This is because most serious daycare centers will have an online presence, for example, 2000days Calgary has an elaborate website that tells you all you need to know about it.
However, even after finding the best daycare with all the best must-haves for children, you still need to ease your child’s transition there, so that they can look forward to their time there. So how do you achieve this, here are some tips:
Make the transition gradual
If your child is used to staying with you all the time, it would be wise to allow them to transition gradually each day until they are used to their new environment. You can talk this through with their teachers, to ensure it would be possible.
You can base this gradual transition, by how they react to their new environment and with time, they will get used to it and love it.
Take them on a visit to the daycare center
If the daycare center allows for prior visits before your child starts going, then you can visit together with your kid. Do not just drop them off and leave them there alone the first time. Familiarize them with their teachers, toys, as well as the whole environment. You can do this more than once before they start full-time, so that they are used to it.
However, if the daycare does not allow for joint visits, you can always drive through every other weekend, just to show your kid the outside and surrounding environment as well as the playground.
Try to talk about daycare with your child
It does not matter if your child is a preschooler, infant, or toddler. They should understand the idea of, daycare and its expectations. You can look for book or TV shows that talks about daycare and have actual kids going to daycare centers, interacting with other kids and teachers as well as playing with the toys and within the playground. Don’t ignore the digital side of teaching today’s kids.
You can read for them the story each day or watch the shows on a daily basis, just to familiarize them with the idea. This way they do not experience any sort of cultural shock once they get to go.
Send them to daycare with their favorites
Giving them something that they love playing with at home, can be of comfort while they are away from home. This can be their favorite toy, snack, food or even a blanket. You just have to talk it through with the teachers, to know if such things are accepted.
Expose your child to different environments
As much, as your child may be social at home while in the comfort of being cared for by you, your siblings and parents as well as family friends. They might not be welcoming to new unfamiliar faces and environment.
Therefore, the best you can do to prepare them for daycare is to expose them to different environments, as they grow. Leave them with other caregivers that are unfamiliar to them, but in different environments, to create some sort of independence.
Adjust your home schedule
You can request for the daycare schedule and try to follow it while at home, weeks before your kid starts their daycare. For instance, if lunch is at 11am and naptime 12 noon, make the same adjustments for home care.
This is because being away from home is a lot of change, so by adjusting your home schedule before they start daycare on a full-time basis can help them feel like nothing’s changed. The daycare schedule will feel more natural and familiar, since they are used to it at home.
Conclusion
In conclusion, trying some of the above tips and many more, when it comes to preparing your child for daycare, can be of help. It would make your child love their new environment and give you an easier time while dropping them off.
