Your child will spend hours a day at their daycare center and this experience can enrich their lives and help them grow. By taking a few simple steps, you can give your child a supportive platform to start an enriching daycare experience. This will not only help them prepare for school but it will also help them build independence, forge long-lasting friendships, strengthen their confidence, and give them invaluable social skills.
Choose Carefully
Just as you take great care in selecting your child’s school, it is equally important to research daycare options. Look for daycare that emphasizes values that you agree with, age-appropriate education, socializing and playtime, and personal care. This not only ensures that your child is in a positive, constructive environment, but also ensures they will receive the attention they need and deserve.
Get to Know the Teachers
Your child’s daycare teacher is a very important person in their life. The daycare teacher is not only responsible for your child’s health and wellness, but also for nurturing their minds and soul. Spend a few minutes before or after school or during extracurricular functions to talk with your child’s daycare teacher. This will help them to get to know your child better and recognize any help or extra attention they may require.
Get to Know Other Parents
Children in daycare tend to come from similar neighborhoods and will probably attend the same schools later. This means the other children your son or daughter interacts with may become their dear friends. The best way to get to know the other children is to get to know other parents. Talk to other parents and arrange playdates between children to get more familiar with your child’s new friends.
Don’t Rush
Pick-up and drop-off times are a great opportunity to socialize with teachers and other parents. Arriving early to pick up and drop off will not only give you plenty of time to see your child off, but will also allow you to talk with teachers and other parents. If your child is struggling, having great success, making new friends, or showing new skills or talents, this is a great time to find out.
Something to Rely On
If your child is suffering from separation anxiety, give them something familiar to make the separation less jarring. A blanket, toy or stuffed animal might do the trick, and packing their favorite snacks will turn daycare into a treat instead of a challenge.
Call or visit Heaven’s Elect to learn more about our daycare center and find out if this is the right choice for your son or daughter. Whatever daycare center you choose, make sure your child has a positive experience and don’t forget to ask them what they think too!
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