When encountering daycare for the first time, many children can be stressed. The attitudes and abilities of the caregivers can affect this transition both positively and negatively. It is recommended that the child’s providers be someone they already know, if it is remotely possible. Many other resources exist for those that know where to look for them.
By asking around the community, often you can get a great idea about a daycare center through word of mouth. All facilities will have both positive and negative aspects, as well as those tiny little quirks, that can be easily discussed between two parents. Each child and provider comes with their own foibles and quirks, so not everyone is going to give the same review to each caretaker – it is the provider that earns the harshest or most frequent negative criticism that should steer a parent away.
An additional resource is the Department of Social Services, as it can give you the names of the daycare workers that are licensed. Part of a pediatrician’s job is to listen to the daily welfare concerns of their patients, and for that reason, many pediatricians will be able to give you good recommendations. Child caretakers can also be found in phone books and newspapers. Any provider that passes the preview round should be thoroughly examined by both you and your child. Introducing your child to its new caretaker and environment will smooth out the understandable fear that some children experience in such environments.
Many children also derive a sense of security from certain items, be they security blankets or favorite toys, and with the permission of the daycare, those should be allowed to go with the child. This extra bit of security can help ease the homesickness your child is likely to feel, particularly in the early stages. For some kids, giving them a picture of their immediate family may also help but for others it may make the homesickness worse. For many, the most helpful step is to simply stay with the kid until their attention is fully devoted to a new activity. If the child is old enough to understand the concept of time, then you can tell them when you are coming back and this will help them understand that you are not abandoning them. Telling your child when you will arrive to reclaim him or her lets the child feel more secure during their daycare experience.
You can help your child enormously by simply being cheerful as you send them off. If you send a negative message, or if you seem upset, your child will only be ten times worse than she or he already was. Watching the parents leave is typically stressful for any child, and crying is a typical result, but most providers report that even the heaviest cries will soon settle down and they will start to play after about fifteen minutes. Though walking out the door after a good-bye is always best, you should feel free to be as extravagant as you want when you return to pick them up.
