How soon should you begin thinking about your child's first years of school? Some parents begin planning and applying at different preschools very early, while others wait until the year their child will start. How many preschools are in your area? Do the classes fill up quickly? Does your child have special needs? What age will you start your child in preschool? What do you hope for your child to get out of preschool? All of these things will come into play as you make the decisions about your child's first year in school. Visit my website to learn how to get the answers to these questions.
If you have always stayed home with your child but you have now decided to go back to work, it will take time for your child to get used to not being home with you each day. If you have chosen to put your child in child care and have found a great daycare already, there are things you can do to help make the transition easier on both of you. Three of these things are listed below so you can get started.
Talk to Your Child
As soon as you know you want to go back to work, start talking to your child about going to daycare. Think of it from their point of view as they will likely be scared and apprehensive. Go to the library and get some books about children going to daycare for the first time. Sit down and read them with your child each day. The books should have a happy ending where the children are happy.
Ask your child how they are feeling and what their fears are. This can help you know what to do to help them. Tell your child to ask as many questions as they want, as they will likely have many.
Visit the Daycare
Visiting the daycare can be a big help in getting your child used to going there. Visit in the morning when the daycare is starting up so your child can see how everything is done. You may want to visit more than once if you have time. If so, get up and go at the normal time so your child will get used to the routine.
Go through everything exactly as you will when you start to work. For example, show your child where they will put up their things, such as their backpack, when they arrive in the mornings. Let them spend a little time with the teachers and the children there. After a few visits your child should start feeling much more comfortable.
Develop a Nightly Routine
Develop a nightly routine with your child to make things go much easier in the morning. This could be getting their backpack ready, having a relaxing talk with them, and more. Put your child to bed at the same time each day. It is important that they get enough sleep. It is recommended that preschool children get 10 to 13 hours of sleep each night. Your child may do well with a little less than this, however, such as 8 or 9 hours. You need to determine what they need because if they are well rested it will help things go easier for you.
Let your child choose the clothes they want to wear to the daycare. Plan breakfast and set out the dishes the night before. Let your child help you do all this.
It will take time for your child and you to get used to your new routine, but over time you will see that they will adjust with no problems.
Share7 November 2017
