6 Tips for Transitioning to Day Care

There’s always a first time for everything. For toddlers, their first day at a daycare center is a milestone that parents must meticulously prepare for. In order to get you and your kids ready for the first day in a preschool and daycare in Briarwood, NY, here are some transition tips you can do beforehand.

• Advance Visit

  Bring your children to the daycare center every now and then during normal work days. You don’t have to do anything but hang out. Doing so will allow the kids to get familiar with the environment in that nursery preschool in Riverdale, NY as well as the people there. Allow the daycare staff to carry your toddler too. That will allow your young ones to feel safe when you leave them in the staff’s care later on.

• Trial Run

  It is best to do a trial run a few days before the actual first day when it comes to leaving your children in a daycare center. Prepare everything as if it is was the real thing, and drop off your kids at the center for an hour or so. Pick a time when they are well-rested. Avoid doing the trial run during nap time or meal time.

• Blankies

  There are kids who can’t part with their blankets. In that case, bring that to the daycare too! If you bring their favorite blanket, toy, or shirt, it should be easy to coax them to relax even in the environment away from home. This stuff can make them feel safe, after all.

• Talk to the Children

  Children are quite perceptive. That is why it is essential that you talk to them about the daycare center before you actually drop them off. Even if the young ones cannot fully understand what you are saying, explaining things to them as patiently as possible can help build trust.

• Getting Used to It

  If it is possible, don’t start off with a full-day program immediately. Get the kids used to stay in the daycare gradually if you don’t want them to get overwhelmed with the changes. You can begin with a half-day program in the first week before transitioning to full-time.

• Special Purchase

  Build excitement. Kids will most likely look forward to the first day in a daycare center when you make them think that staying there is fun. You can buy them a new backpack or a special pair of shoes. Make the first day of going to a daycare center special.

Transitioning young ones to a new environment, even if it is just for a few hours a day, can get really overwhelming. Pay special attention to the children during this period. Be observant of your kids’ attitude when they arrive at the daycare center and when they return home.

If you need help with transitioning your children to a daycare center, call Renanim Preschool and Summer Camp at 212-750-2266.