Day
Care
There comes a time when you have to go back to work and your
toddler needs to be left at daycare or preschool. The separation
pain usually makes every morning, wet from tears. With a heavy
heart you leave your child feeling guilty when you hear the
sobbing behind the closed door. Or maybe you are sneaking out
secretly while your child is engaged in something else and
doesn't see you leave? Here are some tips how to make the
transition to a day care easier on both of you.
- Choose daycare together. Take your child with you while
searching for preschool. Let him choose which group of people
and which teacher he will like more. This will help to
familiarize him with his preschool before hand and he will feel
less afraid and more confident.
- Talk to
your child about the change in your lives; tell him about the
preschool, how is it going to be there. Knowledge will reduce
the fear of the unknown and will make a transition easier. No
matter what age, talk to your child because your little one is
capable of understanding some things.
- Start
with leaving your child for only couple of hours if possible and
then gradually increase the time span until he can stay for the
entire day. This will help to reduce the shock of separation and
staying in a place full of strangers. It doesn't matter that
your child feels confident from the very beginning, you still
should plan increasing the time span he stays in preschool only
gradually.
-
Sometimes moms fail to come to pick their children on time and
children wait with anxiety; maybe mommy will never come to get
them? Keep your promises! Lets say you promised your son to come
and pick him up just after dinner. Children ate their dinner and
are gradually leaving home with their parents and you are still
not there. For you it might seem like a few minutes which you
spent stuck in traffic but for your son it is a trauma. He feels
abandoned, wonders if you will ever show up. Don't be surprised
if the next day, your “always eager to go to preschool child”
refuses to go whatsoever. Keep your promises. Your child should
know whom and when somebody from family members will come to
pick him up. If you are consistent in your words and actions
your child will feel more secure, will trust you more and feel
important and loved.
- Don't
ever escape secretly from preschool after your child starts
playing without saying good-bye to him. It is a tempting way to
avoid tears, but escaping is even worse than crying. If you
suddenly disappear your son will stop trusting in you. Remember,
your little one does not know when and if you are going to
return. He will be afraid to be left anywhere, even at home and
cling to you all the time. Thus tell your child good-bye before
leaving, explain to him that you or his dad will come to pick
him up after he eats his dinner and keep your promises!
