Your Kid Is Starting Day Care? Here’s How You Ease The First Day

Day care is full of explorations, fun, and learning, but starting day care is also a major transition in your little one’s life. For most children, it is the very first time they will be away from their parents for a significant portion of the day. It will also be their first time interacting with a large group consisting of teachers and other children. So, when you start looking for ‘daycare services near me,’ also make a list of things you should do to ensure everything goes smoothly, for the child and yourself, on the very first day!

Visit the school with them before the first day.

If your child is already familiar with the space and the teachers, the first drop-off is likely to be easier. Visiting the day care with the child a few times before the big day will give your child time to feel comfortable with the teachers and the environment.

Change the sleep schedule at home.

If the child day care service your kid is enrolled in has a napping schedule, slowly shift the home nap schedule around that time. If you don’t have enough time to familiarize the little one with the new napping routine, their teachers are there to help!

Get them excited about day care.

If you have a three or four-year-old, read stories and watch videos about positive and fun day care school experiences to help them build interest. The children who already think of day care to be a fun place will be more excited to visit.

When you talk to them about a teacher, refer to them by name. For example, “Do you remember Miss. Nancy, we met that day? She was very nice, wasn’t she? And remember the toys she gave you to play with? Can you tell me your favorite?”

Be a pro packer.

If you have an infant or toddler, packing multiple clothing changes is a good practice. Three to four changes should be good enough to cover spilled food and diaper blowout events. Also, pack sufficient breast milk/formula and bottle supplies needed for the day.

Ask the school if they provide diapers to pack accordingly.

For older children, one or two outfit changes with extra underwear are all you need. It may be required in case of bathroom accidents or getting dirty during activities.

Pack a comfort item.

While packing for child day care service, pack something that reminds your kid- toddlers and up- of home. It will make sleeping easier during nap time. It can be anything, like a stuffed animal or a blanket.

Make a point not to linger.

Once you have said goodbye and left the room, avoid coming back in. The urge to comfort your child is natural, but if you leave the room and re-enter, it will take longer to soothe the child. Trust the day care provider to make the child feel comfortable and engage them in the activity that is going on.

Let your little stars grow and shine at Little Stars Preschools!

We offer child care assistance in Bronx, NY, providing a nurturing and supportive environment to help kids develop their fullest potential. We have all the COVID-19 precautions in place. Enroll your child in our day care programs. We will take good care of them.