HELP YOUR CHILD SETTLE INTO DAY CARE

These ten tips can help you make the transition as easy as possible

You’ve decided to put your child in day care, but now the time has come, and you’re not sure you or your child are ready. What if there are tears and clinginess at day care drop off? That’s enough to pull on anyone’s heart strings, let alone a mother who is potentially feeling guilty about going back to work.

Here are ten tips to help your child settle into day care, so you can make the transition as easy as possible. 1. Visit together first. Instead of springing it on them the first day you start work, make several visits together before their “first day”. Staying and playing with your little one helps them become familiar with the new surroundings, staff and other children, so it’s not such a big deal when they start.

The exact number of visits may depend on how long it takes your child to warm up to something new. Once you’ve played at day care together you can then discuss leaving your baby or toddler for an hour or so without you, and gradually build up to longer days. Doing this also helps reassure your child that you DO come back later. 2. Be organised. Being organised can help you remain calm and in control. If you know their clothes are labelled, lunch is made and their day care bag is packed the night before, there will be less stress for you in the morning. This means more time to focus on your child and how they are feeling. Going one step further and having the slow cooker on for dinner also means less stress at the end of the day when everyone is tired. 3. Take a comfort item. If your child has a safe ‘cuddly’ item they already sleep with, ensure they have it for day care naps (buy at least two). You can also take in a familiar item from home. This may be a familiar toy or family photo album. Let staff know about this item so they can talk about it and connect with your child. 4. Confidently say goodbye. This is often the toughest part as it means you need to manage your emotions when you’re already feeling fragile. Especially if there are tears in your child’s eyes. However, it is much better for you to confidently say goodbye and leave in a timely manner, so they know everything is OK, than trying to ‘sneak off’ or lingering for no valid reason.

Plan your goodbye in advance, especially if you know your child already has separation anxiety. If they are old enough, you could introduce a fun routine you both do (high five, blow a kiss, or develop a secret handshake) to help with the transition. 5. Say when you’ll return. Tell your child when you will be back with a reference they understand, for example, ‘after late snack’.

6. Don’t introduce new things. Daycare is a big change, and change is hard. Now is not the time to start toilet training, dance class or going out to dinner. The more you can keep the same while introducing day care, the better. 7. Allow for down time. Day care is stimulating, so your child will be much more tired than usual. You can help compensate for this with an earlier dinner and bedtime, longer naps or quiet play at home. A wellrested child deals with everything much easier than an overtired one. 8. Plan for one-on-one time. Even though your child will be having a great time at care, they will still notice they are getting less time with Mum and Dad. Make sure you get some extra quality time in at home. It doesn’t have to be much; add in 15 minutes floor time a day and snuggles in the evening during the bedtime routine. 9. Communicate regularly. This is important, especially if your child is struggling. If you are concerned about something, communicate it. In most instances your day care will happily work with you to come up with a solution. 10. Be kind to yourself. The adjustment to care can be harder on you than your child. And once your child figures out you do return at the end of the day, they usually don’t take long to settle.

There are numerous benefits to day care, including preparing children for school and becoming better communicators. Some children leap at the chance to do something new, and others are more hesitant, but if you take the time to guide your child through it, any clinginess or tears will pass.

Kim Corley is a certified baby and child sleep consultant with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and pharmacology. She is also a Mum who believes in the healing power of sleep and has helped numerous families solve their sleep issues over the years. Book a free call to learn more about her sleep packages. You can contact Kim via her website.