An infant daycare is a great way for children to learn new things at an early age. There are infant programs in daycare centers that provide benefits for babies through their formative years.
When parents decide to put their babies in an infant daycare, there are a couple of things to consider. The first day of infant care marks a significant transition for your family. While separation anxiety is hard to avoid for both the parents and baby, there are ways to ease the struggle.
Here are 8 tips to help you and your infant transition and adjust to daycare.
Talk to them about daycare in advance
Unlike toddlers and older children, Infants might not understand the concept of daycare yet. However, it’s a good time to explain daycare to them. Let the child know that they’ll be spending time away from home for a couple hours. Help them understand that you will be back in a little while. This is a good way to help them learn to trust that their parents will return and everything is fine.
Visit the daycare in advance
Visiting the daycare ahead of time help children get familiar with and accustomed to the new environment. Take your baby to the daycare before school starts and visit for a while. Let the daycare teachers hold them so that they can get to know them. Let them play with toys that they find exciting at the center. Tour the campus and let them play on the playground. This helps become comfortable with the classrooms and surroundings.
Do a test/trial run
Before the first day of infant daycare, try a test run. Pack everything that your baby needs, drop them off and leave for an hour or so. Observe how they react to this change so that you’ll be prepared for what to do and what not to do on the actual first full day.
Let your child bring their beloved object
Not all children have something they’re attached to, but if yours does then let them bring it to daycare. This can be a small blanket, a pillow, or a stuffed toy animal. Having something familiar to them will help ease the separation anxiety they may have when attending school.
Create a Routine
Start a routine at home to prepare kids for daycare. One of the things that kids will learn in school is a structured system. Make this transition easier by imposing a daily schedule at home. Establish morning and evening routines. Adjust sleeping and waking hours. Routines are great a way to teach children the concept of time and the importance of doing things on time.
Start slow and be gradual with the changes
It’s good to introduce the daycare system to children slowly. Make it a process and let them get used to going to school. Try a half day for the first two days of school, and then full days onwards. This way, they won’t feel so overwhelmed.
Send them with their favorite foods
If your baby will be eating lunch at the daycare, send them your love by packing the foods they love to eat. Don’t forget to pack their utensils and bottles, too!
Take time to bond with them in the evening
After school is a good time to enjoy quality bonding time with your kids. The hours spent at work can be long, but you can make the most of the time available at night to be with them and enjoy each other. A child’s biggest need is for a parent’s love and care. So, give them the attention and love they need for as long as you can.
Children will not always be children. So it’s best to attend to whatever they need when you can. Sending them to an infant daycare in Langhorne, may scare you and give you anxiety at first, but this is an experience you and they will have to go through soon. Just be supportive and encouraging. The tips above will help you both adjust smoothly to daycare.
