Reluctance, guilt, second-guessing and panic – just some of the many emotions you may feel when it is time to put your child into daycare for the first time. With that may also come a feeling of empowerment, freedom and strength – embrace it!
Finding a suitable daycare provider
There are many options for daycare, from long-stay care, family daycare and in home care. You need to take the time to find the daycare that best suits your needs as well as your child. Take your child there, become involved in the daycare activities and see how he interacts with the caregiver and other children, how he might fit in to the schedule and how comfortable he appears.
Check the credentials, daycare reviews and work history of the caregivers for your own peace of mind and follow your own instincts as to their suitability. It is okay to visit a few different daycare providers before committing.
Getting comfortable
Once you find a daycare you feel comfortable with, you may be able to go with your child a couple of times for a play, or just leave him for a short period (for example an hour) so he gets used to the new surroundings and knows that you will come back for him. Some children don’t need such a slow introduction and thrive from day one; it is up to you how you proceed, you know your child the best.
Trust your daycare provider
Once the ball is rolling, you need to trust the daycare provider. This is perhaps the hardest part for parents, because you become so in-tune to your own child that it is easy to feel as though no-one can care for him like you. While this is, in part, true, daycare providers are used to dealing with a range of children with individual needs. It is their job to make sure each child is nurtured, fed, watered, changed, interacted with and rested. If there is a problem, you need to trust that the daycare provider can handle it or they will phone you. In most cases, no news is good news!
Quality time at home
Putting your child in daycare often makes time at home even more special. Cherish these moments. Use the space to get all the niggling tasks complete before your child is home so you can dedicate the hours at home to him. Over time, you will both get used to the new arrangement and learn to make it work to your advantage.
