Tips For Enrolling Your Child In Daycare
Putting a child in daycare is an important step for a parent - and one often fraught with anxiety and trepidation. Feeling certain that your child will be safe and happy are crucial to a healthy day care experience. With so many different options out there, though, how can you feel comfortable with choice you make?
By understanding a few key differences between daycares and taking a few steps to prepare yourself and your child for it, the process can be made much easier.
Talk to other parents
You aren't the first person to be going through this. Ask your friends about their experiences, read reviews online and talk to the parents you meet when you visit a daycare center. No situation is ever perfect, so take advice with a grain of salt, but listen closely to how people say they would do things differently the next time around.
Talk to the caregivers
These people are going to be spending as much or more time with your children than you are - pick their brains. Ask them about what a typical day looks like, what they like - and don't like - about their job and what some common problems are for people in your situation.
Spend the day
While it is good practice to talk to the caregivers and other parents at pick-up and drop-off, spending an entire day at with your child if possible provides a lot of benefits. Most daycares encourage this as it helps ease the transition for the child (and parents) but it also gives you insight into what you're child is experiencing when you're away.
Establish a routine
More than anything, children are thrown off by unexpected change. Once you've decided on a daycare, work to make your child feel comfortable with the contours of the day. Creating rituals when you drop them off and pick them up can help reduce everyone's stress.
