Are you dreading the moment your toddler will go to daycare or start preschool this season? If yes, it’s natural for parents to feel apprehensive about how your bundle of joy will react when he or she goes away from the homely comforts and people familiar. You have separation anxiety, no doubt. Fret not because we are not here you to scare you. Daycare and school is beneficial, as your kiddo makes new friends, learns to interact, and gains new experiences.
According to an article published on Forbes.com, childcare is not that expensive because a survey indicates that average US households shell out 20 percent or a little more of their earnings on childcare. The problem is the drop-off moment. Then, here are some tips to make it easier:
Think of a goodbye ritual
Professional teachers of daycare centers and preschools recommend parents creating a goodbye ritual to ensure a happy and hassle-free drop-off for your kiddo. It could be anything like a high-five, a peck on your kid’s cheeks, saying that you love your little one, and hugging him or her in a warm embrace.
Then, try this routine daily before each day of the drop-off so that your kid understands that he will part from his parents and leave the comforts of home. The daily farewell will put a limit on parents too, as they will not stay longer near the door to make the drop-off easy and anxiety-free. You can look up Preschool Daycares near you for the academic and emotional development of your little one.
Carry something that smells and feels of home
When your baby is reminded of his home, it will make his initial trips to the daycare center a tad easier and comfort your little one on the challenging days. Carry something that feels or smells of the home during the drop-off. It could be items like the kid’s blanket, mom’s scarf, dad’s t-shirt, and things like that. You can give your child a laminated family photograph so that he can hold on to the same and remember the family members.
Ease your kiddo into daycare
You can ease into the process by allowing your child by starting him or her off with some part-time agenda. Make the daycare process slow and gradual so that you go with your kid for one hour on a particular day and again for 25 minutes while you grab some sandwich and coffee, the subsequent day.
Professional daycare facilities recommend a gradual or slow start, commencing with a few half days or beginning on a Thursday instead of a Monday. This way, your kid need not throw himself into five-days per week rigid, full-time schedule.
Talk about the daycare
Yes, you need to talk about the daycare to your toddler. You can say something like, “Beginning tomorrow, you’re going to daycare and so we will drop you off. There would be other kids like you and you can become friends with them, play, eat, study, and have fun.” You can read books together that get your child used to the idea of daycare or preschool, such as “Llama Llama Misses Mama“, or “Bye Bye Time“.
Final words
Try these tips to make the drop-off of your kid easy, happy, and easy. Ease your child into it and he will love going to the daycare center.
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