Whether it’s your first or fifth child, the first day of daycare never gets easier. After those quiet mornings alone and the ability to watch your little ones first few moments, it’s tough to hand them off to the caregivers at a daycare center. The team at Creative Critters Learning Centers fully understand how difficult it can be for both parents and children on their first day of daycare. That is why, in today’s blog, our team is going to go over a few of the things that you can do to prepare for the upcoming first day of daycare. Let’s dive in!
Preparing for Your Infant’s First Day at Daycare
Ask Questions in Advance
Every parent that has children can attest to the fact that they too had questions when initially dropping their child off at daycare. Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first kid or your fifth, things change and there will always be questions. To avoid making the first day a bit of a drag at the drop-off, do your best to ask your questions in advance. Not only will this calm your nerves, but it will make the drop-off so much quicker!
Practice Your Morning Routine
Nothing is quite as challenging as getting accustomed to a new routine, especially if it entails getting up earlier in the morning. For that reason, we suggest practicing your new morning routine prior to the actual first drop-off day. For some, starting about a week prior to the first day of daycare can help little ones get accustomed to waking up earlier than usual. If your little one is known for starting their days off rough, you may want to consider preparing for at least two weeks.
Keep Your Emotions in Check
Children will always look to their parents when it comes to new situations. If the expressions and energy that they’re picking up off their parents is nervous or scared, chances are they’re going to react similarly. As difficult as it may be, try your best to keep your emotions in check during the first couple of drop-offs so that your child doesn’t pick up on these feelings. Again, we know it’s hard to leave your kid in the care of someone else, but trust your gut in the fact that you selected a quality daycare facility and put on a brave face so that they can do the same!
Set Aside Enough Time
On the actual day that your child will be attending daycare for the first time, make sure that you set aside enough time. Not only do we mean enough time for getting ready and making your way to the learning center, but enough time to tackle any hurdles that may come up along the way. If your child does wind up getting upset and throwing a bit of a tantrum before you leave the house, you want to make sure that you have enough time to tackle it so that they’re totally fine when you get to the facility.
Leave the Tantrums to Us
While we’re on the topic of tantrums, the last point that we want to cover in today’s blog is this: leave the tantrums to us! There are countless kiddos that will break down crying when they realize mommy and daddy aren’t going to be sticking around with them at daycare. Though those puppy dog eyes and frowny faces are challenging to ignore, sticking around to love on them only enforces this attitude. By hanging around, they learn that this type of behavior will keep you from leaving. So, if it comes down to a tantrum at your exit, leave it to us!
Contact Our Team Today
The first day of daycare is difficult, but you can find some comfort in the fact that our team is here to help! If you have any questions that you need answered or you would like to visit the facility with your little one, ask us! You are always welcome to call our office with any needs or questions that come up! Our team is more than prepared to accommodate your needs. We look forward to seeing you on your little one’s first day of daycare, and trust us — it’s going to be okay!