You can ease your child’s transition to daycare with thoughtful preparation and practical strategies. Read on to learn more about how to support your little one through this significant milestone.

Starting daycare can be emotional…for everyone. After a year (or more!) at home together, many families dread the return to work and the transition to child care. But, while the initial adjustment can be a bit overwhelming, a reliable daycare partner can be a joy for your child and a game-changer for you. (Imagine being able to drink a cup of coffee while it’s still hot, or answer emails without trying to give a bottle or rock a baby at the same time!)

The trick to a smooth daycare transition is actually preparation. By employing a few readiness strategies, you can make those early days of child care easier than you might expect for everyone. Read on for the details.

Setting the Stage

Transitioning to daycare actually starts before the first day. (Trust us—attempting drop-off without any advance warm-up is going to leave both you and your little one uneasy at best and inconsolable at worst.) There are some easy but essential ways to expose your child to their new environment and routine, so they’re comfortable from day one.

Plan transition visits

Prior to the first official day, many daycare centres and home daycares offer short visits so your child can meet their new caregiver, get acquainted with the other kids and explore the space where they’ll spend their days. Most of the time, the first couple of visits are just an hour or two, followed by a few half-day stays. The hope is that this focus on familiarization will reduce the fear of the unknown once daycare starts in earnest.

Practice being apart

This sounds gut-wrenching after so many months together, but the best thing you can do for a child who is gearing up to attend daycare is to spend some time away from them. We’re not talking days on end, don’t worry, but if you can leave your child with a trusted friend or family member for a couple of hours at a time, this will help to ease the separation anxiety for both of you.

Get into a routine sooner than later

Don’t wait until the day before daycare starts to introduce a new routine. A few weeks before the first day, start to adjust wake times, nap times and feeding times to your daycare centre’s daily schedule. Get your little one dressed and fed as you would to leave the house each morning, so they start to understand what’s going to happen every day.

Send the Essentials

Your daycare will have lots of fun things for your little one to do—there’s sure to be no shortage of toys and they’ll have the basics covered (a place to nap, highchairs for feeding, etc). But you will be responsible for sending along specific items for your child. You’ll likely be given a list by your childcare provider, but this is a sample of what you can expect:

• Diapers and wipes
• Extra clothing (likely 2-3 spare outfits)
• Feeding and soothing gear (bottles, soothers, sippy cup, snack cup)
• Comfort items, like a stuffy or blanket for naptime if your child is old enough
• Outdoor supplies, like appropriate outerwear for the season, sunscreen, etc.

Consider purchasing permanent labels or a permanent stamp with your last name so your child’s items are easily trackable and can be returned to you if misplaced.

Be Optimistic and Positive

It’s important to know that adjusting to a new daycare and the subsequent routine is going to take time and patience. If the first couple of days don’t go as well as you hoped, don’t think that all is lost. Remember, your child has really only known you, your partner and their siblings for months now—new people and places take getting used to. Here are a handful of common challenges you might come up against, and some strategies for how to navigate and cope:

The sad goodbye

A teary, clinging kid can break your heart into a million pieces and make you question why you even have to have a job or spend time on your own. Take a deep breath. New experiences aren’t just good for your baby—they’re absolutely necessary. The best thing you can do for both of you is to keep goodbyes short and make yourself scarce after lots of reassuring, praising language and a reminder of when you’ll return.

Sleep issues

You may find that your little one struggles to nap at daycare for the first couple of weeks. A new environment—especially one with other kids—is extremely exciting and interesting, but it can lead to overtired, overstimulated babes. This will likely pass, but in the short term, be prepared for cranky kiddos right after pickup. Early bedtimes can help this adjustment until your child settles in.

Lack of appetite

As with sleep, a new environment can make it difficult for babies and toddlers to focus on eating. If your daycare provider allows outside food, send along a few snacks you know your child loves, so you know they will likely eat something. But as with separation anxiety and difficulty napping, this too shall likely pass.

Overall, daycare will be a great thing for your child. They’ll meet their first friends, experience the care of adults outside of their family and spend their days trying new things. You’ll likely be blown away by how much they learn in such a short period of time. But cut yourself some slack, too. If you’re sad or worried, that’s okay. Just remember that your child is watching your every move, so if you put on a brave face, your child will feel that and know that they’re safe and secure at daycare, too.