At some point in a working mother's life, the time would come to return to work and leave one's tiny tot to day care. It seems that months of maternity leave made a world exclusively for mother and toddler, making it stressful to detach from each other. Both mom and child would have separation anxieties as the little one will now venture into Day Care.
Parents have the obligation to make the transition easier for the little ones. Separation from their mothers and facing new caregivers in an unfamiliar environment can bring much anxiety for a toddler to handle. Here are some suggested ways to make the toddlers ready for day care.
Visit The Day Care Center.
Schedule to visit the day care center and tag your child along. Stay in the vicinity for a while so that the child can become familiar with the place. Try leaving the child for a few hours at first, then gradually increasing the time frame. Spend some time inside the center too before and after the pickup, making your stay intervals shorter.
Join Or Organize Play Dates.
Baby Center suggests planning more social activities. Invite parents with kids of the same age as your child to play dates. You can host the play dates in your own house as a starter and then maybe move out to public areas like the playground. Play dates outside of home will help prepare your child to changes in surroundings, so grab the chance to accept invites of play dates from other mothers.
Start A Routine.
Come up with a routine at home that would somewhat follow through with what the child might experience in the Day Care center. You can start to reevaluate the routines that you are currently doing that might need to change as soon as the child enters Day Care. If your child is used to staying up late but may need to get up early for Day Care, you would need to change bedtimes.
Use A Great Good-Bye Habit.
Be creative in making a fun good-bye routine such as a high-five or maybe a special handshake. Use non-emotional and quick good-bye phrases like, "See you after a while crocodile" or "See you later alligator." Practice this habit before starting Day Care, say goodbye when you leave the child in a safe play pen as you move to another room. The toddler will eventually learn to accept that mommy cannot be in sight at all times.
