The big day is coming soon!
You have decided to enroll your child in daycare for the first time. I think we can all say we are excited to see them!
But we understand it can be a little bit of a stressful experience for you and your child. This might be the first time your child has been away from you for a significant amount of time or maybe it is the first time that they will be playing and learning with a bigger group of their peers.
Thankfully, there are ways you can make the transition a little bit easier for your child, so they can adapt quickly and start to enjoy all of the new things they are going to experience even sooner.
Tips For The First Day Of Daycare
1) Make changes to your schedule right away.
Don’t wait until the last minute to help your little one get into their new routine. Make sure to start waking them up a little earlier, getting them ready for their day right away, and putting together a schedule similar to what they are going to experience when they show up for their first day. Even sending them off with another parent or family member for the day will help with separation when the day comes!
2) Talk about how much fun it is going to be!
Make sure to talk about how big of a BLAST it is going to be to come and see us every day! We post a lot of the cool activities and games we play with the kids on Facebook, and showing this to your child will help them see what the other kids are up to. This will help ease any concerns they might have, and get them excited to join in on all the fun!
3) Give yourself a little extra time in the beginning.
Especially if this is your first child, you are going to do a little bit of learning. In the beginning, make sure to allow yourself a little extra time to make sure you don’t forget anything. Make sure to pack everything up the night before so it is not a crazy scramble in the morning that is going to have both you, and your child stressed out! Make a list, check it twice, and give yourself a few extra minutes!
4) Try not to hang around, even on the tough days.
This is going to be hard, we won’t lie to you, but the best thing you can do is leave and let your child begin to figure out his or her new world. They will be just fine, we promise! If you want to stick around for a little bit the first few days and just make sure, be our guest, but make sure after a few days to let your child be. They are amazing, after all!
The first few days of childcare can be stressful and everyone’s experience is just a little bit different, but with these little pieces of advice, you can make sure your child has the greatest chance for success in adapting to a new place and new people.
The sooner they do, the sooner the fun will start!
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