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How to settle your child in daycare

Settling into Childcare

Childcare is a new environment for your child, with new people and new routines.

Your child’s transition to child care is more likely to go well if you start getting ready for child care well ahead of time.

Also, starting slowly is important. For example, if it works for your family, you could start with short days and stay at childcare with your child. Then you could leave your child for short periods, building up to leaving your child for a whole day.

It’s also important to talk to your child’s early childhood educators about the best way to help your child with the transition. Educators have a lot of experience with settling young children into childcare, and they’ll be able to suggest options for your child and family.

Settling in at child care: tips for the early weeks

Get organised early
Taking care of practical things like lunches and clothes labels the night before (or earlier) will reduce the stress of trying to get out the door in the mornings. This means you can focus on your child and how they’re feeling on child care mornings. If your morning at home is calm, you’re both more likely to be calm when you say goodbye.

Allow plenty of down time at home
Child care is very stimulating. At the end of the day, your child will probably be tired and need recovery time at home. This might mean an earlier bedtime, longer naps or quiet play in a familiar environment.

Make special time at home with you
Now that you have less time with your child, you’ll want to make the most of the time you do have together.

Say goodbye
When it’s time to go, it’s important to let your child know you’re going and when you’ll be back. Give your child a hug and a kiss, say goodbye to your child’s educator and leave promptly. This makes it easier for your child to settle down with their educator.

Build a relationship with your child’s early childhood educators
Your child is more likely to feel secure at child care if they see that you have good relationships with early childhood educators. If your child can see that you trust their educator, your child is more likely to trust the educator too.

Settling children with disability, autism or additional needs into childcare: tips

If your child with disability, autistic child or child with other additional needs is starting child care, you can adapt the ideas in this article to suit your child.

You might need to work closely with your child’s educators to help them develop skills for supporting your child and their specific needs. For example, you can let educators know how best to communicate with your child, or help your child move around, or guide your child’s behaviour, and so on.

Regular communication with educators is especially important if your child has additional needs.

 

For more information please visit

https://raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/work-child-care/planning-starting-child-care/care-planning-settling