Four Ways You Can Make Daycare Drop Offs Easier
Your child comes home with a smile and a bag filled with crafts. They talk about their friends and teachers constantly. You know your kid loves daycare, so why is drop off so difficult?
Lots of children find it hard to say goodbye to mum or dad in the morning. There may be tears or tantrums, or your little one may seem anxious or withdrawn as soon as you get out of the car. If you are struggling with challenging daycare drop offs, here are four tips that can make your mornings a little bit easier.
Prepare them for daycare each morning
While your regular routine is well-established and predictable to you, it is harder for children to know what sort of day they’re waking up to. Part of the problem might be that they expected to spend a day at home, and the idea of going to childcare comes as a surprise.
To avoid the shock, give your youngster an idea of what the day has in store. Over breakfast, ask what they are looking forward to doing at childcare or who they are excited to play with. Remind them of the craft they made yesterday or the new songs they have been practicing. Preparing mentally for the day ahead can help alleviate some of the overwhelming feelings of separation they experience at drop off.
Involve the teachers
Our Palmerston North childcare teachers are trained and experienced in how to make preschoolers feel at ease, so if you’re having trouble with drop off, we’ll be happy to help. There may be a preferred teacher who makes your child feel most comfortable in the mornings, or perhaps what they really need is a warm and nurturing cuddle by any one of our teachers. At Tiny Legends Early Learning Centre in Palmerston North, our daycare teachers put a great deal of effort into finding what helps each one of our tamariki transition into their day.
Find something special
If your child has trouble saying goodbye, give them something comforting that makes them feel safe. This could be something tangible, like a favourite teddy bear that reminds them of home, or something intangible, like a special goodbye handshake. Find what works for your child and remember the main objective is to leave them with a feeling of security, confidence and love.
Trust your gut
There’s a lot to be said for parent’s intuition and you know your child better than anyone else. For some children, the difficult daycare drop offs will be a phase and a little tough love and a quick goodbye is best. For others, what works best is when mum or dad stays in the childcare centre until your little one is settled and engaged in a fun activity. There’s no one right way to approach challenging drop offs – we urge you to find what suits your family and trust that you are doing right by your child.
If you are looking for a childcare centre in Palmerston North dedicated to starting the day on a strong note, get in touch with Tiny Legends Early Learning Centre on Kelvin Grove today.
