As parents, there is one thing that all of us have in common. Without a doubt, every single one of us will make mistakes. We’ll screw up, frequently. We live in a world where we’re told that parenting is the most important responsibility a human being can have, but there aren’t any parenting classes to prepare soon-to-be moms and dads. Simply put, we muddle along, and you know what? That’s okay. The trick is to learn not only from our own mistakes but the mistakes of others.
One of the most important milestones in your child’s life is the transition to a child care provider. There are some parents that do their due diligence by visiting the child care center, and they assume their work is done. Yet, 20 minutes after dropping their kiddo off, they get a phone call from day care letting them know that their son or daughter is screeching like a banshee. Read on for a few tips to make the transition smoother and easier.
Understanding Time
Timing is everything, and that’s particularly true when it comes to the developmental stage that your child is 
at. For example, when many kids reach 18 months, they experience a kind of miniature adolescent crisis. During this time, they are developing new communication skills, a new understanding about how caretakers fit into their lives and dealing with separation anxiety. Not all children will hit these stages at the same time, but there are certain periods that are calmer and more orderly than others. If you have concerns, talk with your pediatrician first.
Bring Your Little One
When you do visit the child care center, bring your child along. While the experience might be a little overwhelming, it offers your kiddo a chance to meet his or her potential teacher, check out the toys, and maybe make a friend. A trial run or two can help your kids get comfortable with the place before going on a regular basis.
Set Expectations
No matter how old your children are, talk about the day care transition and what to expect beforehand. Kids learn lots of emotional cues from their parents, so if you’re enthusiastic about it, they will be too. There are also great books for kids, like The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney, that specifically focus on preparing kids for preschool or day care.
Observe Their Routine
It’s important to have a day care provider that has a routine for transitioning children similar to your own. If you want to take a few days to “shadow” your child, but your provider wants you to give your child a quick kiss and leave, you’re setting yourself up for tension. Don’t expect a provider to change their routine to suit you. Instead, find one that’s in sync with you already.
Vary in Babysitting
A smart move before starting day care is to make sure your child has experience with caretakers other than you or your partner. When they spend a day with a grandmother, uncle, or friend of the family, you’re setting up experiences where your child spends extended amounts of time with someone else, but they know they’ll come back to you at the end of the day.
At Yellow Brick Road, we strive to make each child’s experience a positive one. Our compassionate staff works with each child to help them grow as individuals, even at an early age. Utilizing the Gold Curriculum, we conform our processes of teaching to cater to a variety of learning abilities. Each staff member is gentle and encouraging, creating a safe place for your child to learn and grow. Visit our website today to learn more, or click below to enroll and become a part of the Yellow Brick Road family.
