5 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Daycare
Now that you have chosen the right daycare centre that fits your needs, it’s time to get your child ready emotionally and physically before the big day comes. Below are some tips on how you can prepare your child for their daycare centre experience.
1. Familiarise yourself with the daycare centre’s services
Before the big “ daycare day ” comes, make sure to familiarise yourself with the centre’s services. Ask them if they conduct parent and child orientations or programs that can help in settling your child with them. Orientations are fantastic as they aim to:
- Make you and your family more familiar and comfortable with the centre’s environment
- Help the child to get to know the educators and staff at the centre
- Allow your child to meet other children who are already enrolled in the centre
This is also an opportunity where you give important information about your child to their educators. It may include their:
- Well-being
- Sleeping patterns
- Immunisations
- Interests
- Food allergies and medical conditions (if there’s any)
- Learning activities they already participate in and enjoy
- Specific family conditions (e.g custody arrangements)
- What typically upsets the child and what calms them
- Any special comforters eg. teddies or toys your child may need at rest time
2. Get ready together with your child
The key to easily settling your child into daycare is to start slowly and get ready together. Sit down and talk about the big day. Let them know what to expect, what will happen and what are the good things they can experience in the daycare centre.
It’ll get them excited and they will hopefully look forward to it. You may even shop together for their day care items to get them excited even more. Let them choose their own backpack, water bottle or lunch box. This helps in slowly preparing your child so that they are less anxious about the process.
3. Spend some time ahead in the daycare centre
Schedule a visit with your child to familiarise them with their new environment. Tour the facility including playgrounds. Let them meet and interact with the educators and other children. This is helpful in getting them familiar and comfortable with the daycare’s surroundings and the people who work there.
Do this a few times before the formal entry to daycare and you’ll be amazed at how this will help their transition to daycare.
4. Make a routine
It’s normal for a child to fear something they don’t know. So it is best to establish a routine with them. Below is a sample of a routine you can do with your child.
Morning routine
Prepare and organise things early in the morning and include your child in this process. This might include eating breakfast together, brushing teeth and packing your bag.
Evening routine
For the evening routine, you can let your child help prepare their things for the next day. Then you can read and tell them positive stories about starting daycare, meeting a teacher or making friends. This way, your child will have a positive outlook about going to a daycare centre.
Following this routine guide will help bring consistency and comfort to the child. Do you need more help, let’s talk about it.
5. Let your child bring an item from home
It would be good to let your child bring an item from home. It could be your family photo, your child’s favourite blanket or a soft toy. It’s a way to give comfort to your child while going through this transition.
Before you say goodbye, give your child hugs and kisses and let them know when you’re coming back. Take note that longer goodbyes will make it harder for you and your child. So, keep your exit prompt so that your child can settle more quickly and easily with their educator.
Starting daycare can be daunting for you and your child but we all hope that with these tips it can be a smooth transition.
For further help with starting your child with daycare, talk to Cherubs Early Learning and Kindergarten today. Our educators would love to meet you and your child.
