Making Goodbyes Easier: How To Drop Your Child Off At Daycare
It can be really difficult for your child to adjust to the idea that he or she will be dropped off to daycare. Fortunately, there are ways that you can make the experience easier for your child so that he or she can feel reassured about staying at a daycare. Don't assume that your child will continue to feel anxious after dropping him or her off at the first day of daycare because children often have anxiety over unfamiliar environments that eventually passes. But that doesn't mean that there aren't ways you can reduce any anxiety your child might experience.
Explain What Will Happen
Explain everything that will happen to your child in detail, even if you do not believe that your child will understand. The tone of your voice will help your child pick up on your confidence regarding the situation.
Give Your Child To Familiar Caregivers
If your child is familiar with some of the daycare caregivers, ask that these caregivers greet your child as soon as he or she is dropped off at the daycare. That way, your child will be reminded that he or she knows the adults at the daycare and will feel more at-ease.
Bring Something Familiar And Comforting
Give your child something familiar that he or she can bring. This can be either a favorite toy or a favorite blanket. Send the third or fourth favorite possession with your child because you don't want your child to lose one of his or her favorite possessions at the daycare. Another option is for your child to bring something that reminds him or her of you, such as a scarf you sometimes wear.
Have A Goodbye Ritual
If you can create a distraction shortly after your child arrives, he or she is more likely to not feel anxious. For instance, if you brought a fun toy, you should encourage your child to play with it shortly after arriving. You also need a drop-off ritual, such as a high-five, so your child knows what to expect each time. The ritual will signal that nothing has changed and that you will return again. Make sure that whichever drop-off ritual you use is one that feels natural to your child. If you try to sneak out, your child is more likely to panic and believe that he or she has been abandoned. But if you use the right approach, your child will remain calm and adjust to his or her time at the daycare.
To learn more, contact a daycare center like Advantage Learning Center.