How to prepare your child for day care transition?
- Swathi Kadur
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
First day of day care is a big transition and a milestone for your little ones and parents too. Until this stage, a family member or you have been the caregiver for your little one.You as parents have been able to control how the child is cared for and have been able to be around them as and when you please.
As the first day approaches, some of the questions as a parent you start asking yourself are: Will the day care provide the same attention and care like you do? Will your little one be able to adjust to the new faces and a new environment? Will the child have separation anxiety?
Transtions can be a mixed bag of emotions for both the child and the parent as its the first time for both of you to be away from each other. The best way to handle these situations would be to prepare your child for day care with a few simple things to make this transition easier on both your little ones and you.
First few days at the day care needs to be short visits by the primary caregiver
It's a new place, with new people and new toys and your little one may not yet be ready to explore all of these different elements all at once. It's best to break these down into smaller steps so that your little one can become comfortable. Regardless of whether you are signing up for half day care, extended half day care or full day care you should start with short visits. This means that on the first day, spend two hours with the child. It is important that either the parent or the primary caregiver like a grandparent, aunt or uncle is with the little one, so they understand that it is a safe place for them to be.
Talk to your child in a positive manner about the day care to prepare them with the transition
When you talk about day care around your little one, speak about it in a positive manner even though you are nervous on the inside. Your little one is sensing your feelings and learning from you, if he/she senses anxiety and worry, that is the feeling they will pick up. If they sense happiness and excitement, that is the feeling that he/she will hold on to. Use simple words when talking to your child about day care such as, "You will meet your friends or Mom/Dad will come pick you up." The calmness in your voice will reassure your little one.
Send a little bit of home to the day care to prepare the child with the transition
When we miss home, we look for things that give us the comfort of home, a soup that our Mom made or a familiar fragrance that she wore. For your little one it will be things that bring them comfort at home, their blanket, their sippy cup, the bowl and spoon that they are used to eating to a lullaby that you sing when you put them to sleep. Pack their favourite blanket, their favourite toy to school. When the teacher is taking details of your little one, share the lullaby that you sing, when your little one is unsettled and crying, the teacher will sing the lullaby to help your little one feel at ease.
The drop-off to the day care needs to be short
Once your day care suggests that its time for the child to start spending time at the day care alone, the first most daunting period for the child and you is the drop-off. The drop off is a crucial time which will set the tone for your little one especially when they are settling. Keep your conversations with the child short and reassuring like a good-bye wish and, “I'll pick you up after school”. Long and emotional farewells make separation for the child harder. A few more things to keep in mind while dropping your little one at day care is to hold your little one's hand and walk them into the day care. Carrying your little one in your arms is not advised because they may not want you to put them down to go to the teacher. Following a set method and practice while not letting your own emotions get the better of you, these simple steps will make sure the child enters the day care with the reassurance that you will return soon to pick them up.
Ever child has a settlement period at their new day care
A settlement period are the first few weeks when the child comes to the day care on their own. During this period, they are not accompanied by the caregiver for short visits. Settlement periods are never the same for each child, some children settle immediately and others can take a week or even upto three weeks to fully settle. They key is to be consistent with your routine.
Consistent with dropping and picking up your child everyday
Consistent with short drop-offs
Consistent with the verbiage used with your little one, for eg. "Mumma goes to work, Arshi goes to school, when Mumma is done she will pick you up."
If you feel compelled to be close to your child during settlement, choose to wait in the parents waiting room away from your child.
It is never easy to drop off your little one when they are crying. You will always have the urge to fix the situation for your little one. This is a time where your little one will cry but as the days go by, they will register the routine and come to understand that they will be dropped off and picked up. Trust the process, trust the team and trust that your child will settle.
At the start of everyday - be happy, show excitement and involve your little one when getting ready for day care, maybe ask your little one to help pack the things that are needed for day care, maybe select their own clothes. These small gestures will show them that your little one and you are on this journey together making the transition to the new day care a lot more easier.
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