How to Deal with Sending Your Child to Daycare
Start looking for a daycare well before your child will be ready to attend., Make the transition easier by looking for some key aspects of a quality daycare., Look for a daycare that has a set schedule., Take the time to meet the staff., Talk to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start looking for a daycare well before your child will be ready to attend.
If you know ahead of time that you will be sending your child to daycare, it is a good idea to start looking at various locations well before the planned first day.
This will give both you and your child some extra time to adjust to the new situation. -
Step 2: Make the transition easier by looking for some key aspects of a quality daycare.
Taking the time to choose a daycare is important because both you and your child need to feel comfortable about your child being there, rather than at home.
To make the transition easier, try to find a daycare that is close to your home or office so that dropping off your child and picking him or her will be convenient.
You should also look for a daycare that:
Is clean, organized, and have enough staff to take care of the needs of all of the children that are enrolled.
It should have enough indoor room for the children to move freely and various types of toys should be within reach of the children.
There should also be a play area outside which is fenced in, well maintained, and has a good selection of outdoor toys. , Choosing a daycare that follows a daily schedule makes the transition easier because once your child has gone to the daycare a couple of times, he or she will know what to expect and will be less hesitant about attending.
Aside from meals, snacks, and naps, there should be time on the schedule that is designated for free play, teacher-led play, and educational activities. , Even more important than the set-up and daily schedule of the daycare is the interaction between the staff and the children, and to a slightly lesser degree, between the other parents and the staff.
The staff should be caring and nurturing toward your child and treat the parents with respect.
A good way to determine this is to set up a time when you and your child can spend a few hours at the daycare to see what it is like.
This also gives your child a chance to meet some of the other children that they will be seeing daily. , Although a scheduled visit is often a good indicator of how a daycare runs, there are some daycare facilities where the staff is on their best behavior when they know there are visitors.
In order to be more certain that the daycare is a good fit for your family, try talking to some of the other parents that bring their children to the daycare.
You can also consider returning to the daycare for an unannounced visit.
However, make sure that you return at the same time, such as the beginning of the day, so that you do not interrupt nap time or some other scheduled activity. -
Step 3: Look for a daycare that has a set schedule.
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Step 4: Take the time to meet the staff.
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Step 5: Talk to other parents that send their children to the daycare you are looking at.
Detailed Guide
If you know ahead of time that you will be sending your child to daycare, it is a good idea to start looking at various locations well before the planned first day.
This will give both you and your child some extra time to adjust to the new situation.
Taking the time to choose a daycare is important because both you and your child need to feel comfortable about your child being there, rather than at home.
To make the transition easier, try to find a daycare that is close to your home or office so that dropping off your child and picking him or her will be convenient.
You should also look for a daycare that:
Is clean, organized, and have enough staff to take care of the needs of all of the children that are enrolled.
It should have enough indoor room for the children to move freely and various types of toys should be within reach of the children.
There should also be a play area outside which is fenced in, well maintained, and has a good selection of outdoor toys. , Choosing a daycare that follows a daily schedule makes the transition easier because once your child has gone to the daycare a couple of times, he or she will know what to expect and will be less hesitant about attending.
Aside from meals, snacks, and naps, there should be time on the schedule that is designated for free play, teacher-led play, and educational activities. , Even more important than the set-up and daily schedule of the daycare is the interaction between the staff and the children, and to a slightly lesser degree, between the other parents and the staff.
The staff should be caring and nurturing toward your child and treat the parents with respect.
A good way to determine this is to set up a time when you and your child can spend a few hours at the daycare to see what it is like.
This also gives your child a chance to meet some of the other children that they will be seeing daily. , Although a scheduled visit is often a good indicator of how a daycare runs, there are some daycare facilities where the staff is on their best behavior when they know there are visitors.
In order to be more certain that the daycare is a good fit for your family, try talking to some of the other parents that bring their children to the daycare.
You can also consider returning to the daycare for an unannounced visit.
However, make sure that you return at the same time, such as the beginning of the day, so that you do not interrupt nap time or some other scheduled activity.
About the Author
Kayla Kennedy
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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