How to Transition a Stay-at-Home Child to Day Care

Whether it’s for financial reasons or you feel it’s time to return to work, deciding to put a child that you’ve bonded with, loved and kept near you into daycare is not easy. The transition to daycare can be difficult and heart-wrenching for both you and your child, but with lots of love and the right preparation, both you and your little one can embark on this new adventure with little mishap.

Instructions

1. Start socializing your child weeks before beginning daycare. Have play dates and visit places where children are likely to hang out. The idea is for him to start learning the social skills of playing with other children

2. Familiarize her with other caregivers. Now is the perfect time for mom and dad to have a date night and have someone else watch your child. It doesn’t matter if you get your parents to do it or hire a baby sitter, the idea is to get her use to different parent styles and ease separation anxiety--yours and hers.

3. Take a tour of the daycare together and make it a fun day adventure. Introduce him to the staff and his teacher. This way they both get to learn a little about each other.

4. Talk up the daycare. Point it out whenever you drive by. Talk about what she will do there and who she will meet. The idea is to get her excited about her first day.

5. Figure out the daycare’s schedule and adjust yours to match the new routine. Nap and snack time should emulate the daycare’s, so your child would already know what to expect.

6. Consider leaving your child for only a few hours for the first day or a week. This way the adjustment is not jarring and happens a little at a time.

7. Finally, remember to keep a positive attitude. Kids are smart, and your child will pick up on anxiety and become anxious too, so if you are at ease, he will be too.