For parents everywhere, one of the biggest moments they have with their children is the first day of daycare. A big moment indeed, it starts an incredible journey, as parents get the chance to watch their children begin their road on the path of education. However, while parents are overjoyed at this milestone in their child’s life, it can be a stressful time. Not only is there the chance the child may be nervous about spending time away from its parents and home several days per week, but parents may also be unsure on how best to prepare their child for the transition. If you’re a parent who’s facing this dilemma, here are some tips you can use to ensure both you and your child will have a peaceful and joyous transition into the world of daycare.
Don’t Dwell On It
Since parents are naturally eager for the big day to happen, they sometimes tend to dwell on it far too much, inadvertently putting additional pressure on their child. For example, they may start talking about daycare months in advance, which results in the child thinking about daycare day and night. When this happens, the child may go from looking forward to daycare to becoming quite nervous about it, creating unnecessary anxiety. To avoid this, it’s best to start talking about daycare to your child when the first day of class is only about two or three weeks away. For example, if you drive by a playground or the school building itself, talk about how much fun your child will have playing with the other kids, how nice the teacher and staff are, and how you will accompany them into the classroom on day one. By doing so, you’ll keep your child relaxed and looking forward to their daycare debut. For more details on this, visit here.
Have Morning and Bedtime Routines
Since you probably already have morning and bedtime routines for your child, most experts recommend you stick with them once your child starts daycare. Not only do these routines allow you and your child to spend quality time together, but it also gives the child reassurance and stability, helping them stay relaxed. While these routines help your home life be happy and organized, it can also help your child immensely once they start daycare, since most classrooms also have daily schedules. By establishing a sense of organization in your child at home, they will start daycare with a distinct advantage. Additional information about routines can be found here.
Always Look for Teachable Moments
Since kids have a unique curiosity about life, always be on the lookout for teachable moments. By doing so, you’ll be setting the stage for your child’s experiences in daycare. For example, if the two of you do something nice for a neighbor, talk to your child about how it made them feel, as well as how they think it made the other person feel. When you take this approach, you’ll be teaching your child about empathy, as well as how to get along well with others, which will be very important once they begin daycare.
Work on Their Motor Skills
If you want to set your child up for success in daycare, take some time at home to work on their motor skills. This can be done in many fun and creative ways, such as cutting out different shapes from construction paper, using Play-Doh to create various shapes, and other fun tasks. In doing so, you’ll be preparing them to learn handwriting, use scissors, and other future school tasks. By working on these tasks prior to starting daycare, your child will be able to tackle these and other classroom tasks with confidence, making each day of school even more fun.
By taking the time to think about how daycare will affect your child, you’ll be able to have them well-prepared from day one. Whether you are teaching them how to get along well with others, the importance of having a daily routine both at home and at school, or how to do craft activities, there’s no doubt your child will reap the benefits once they start daycare.
