Daycare Dos and Don'ts

10 Tips to Prepare Yourself and Your Child

By Gina Roberts-Grey, LCSW

The process of attending daycare or dropping your child off at daycare can be an overwhelming feat for many families. Wondering if your child is adjusting to the facility's routine, making friends or coping with the separation from family and home can be quite consuming for parents. Coupled with the financial expense of quality daycare and self-imposed guilt of entrusting someone to care for your child, the subject of daycare generally leads to parents carrying a mixed bag of emotions they struggle to sort through.

Fortunately, today's families have a myriad of daycare options from franchised daycare centers to in-home caregivers, to grandparents, au pairs and nannies. According to information provided by the Internal Revenue Service, nearly 47 percent of American children attend daycare at some point in their lives.

Having a few tried-and-true tips to rely on will help both you and your child successfully transition to the routine of daycare. Knowing how to identify what type of daycare situation best suits your family's needs and how to prepare your family for the first day will provide all of you some comfort and confidence to navigate this new adventure.

Look for a daycare provider whose child-to-caregiver ratio will best suit everyone's needs and expectations. While some children thrive on frequent interaction and the chance to be independent, others require a more nurturing or calm atmosphere. Visit the center at several intervals throughout a day to ascertain if the schedule and interaction is conducive to your child's personality and needs. Once you've verified the safety and licensing records of your local daycare centers, ask for a few referrals from fellow parents whose children attend the center. The ability to chat openly about how other parents view the care and services provided or how other children enjoy the daycare facility will help you all overcome some natural anxiety. Ask about the types of independent play the center offers and how the children are reprimanded and fed or how special needs are accommodated. Role playing and discussing your fears and potential concerns will show the staff you're a caring parent and provide reassuring clarity to help you select the facility that's best for your family.

Want to see more?

• Preschool/Daycare Checklist
• In Good Hands: How to Prepare for Leaving Your Baby With a Caregiver
• Back to Work: Returning After Maternity Leave
• Talk about it!