When both the parents are working, sending the child to the daycare is a common solution that parents tend to think of. However, the pain of sending your beloved one away from you can sometimes be the cause of separation anxiety and can take a toll on your performance in the workplace. The fact is that it takes time for both a parent as well as a child to adapt to the changes and this transition period can often turn out to be painful. To cure this pain of separation of your beloved child, here are some of the guaranteed tips for the child as well as a parent that can be very useful:

FOR THE CHILD

1. Give something familiar to keep: When you send your child to the daycare, try to pack something that can remind the little fella of the home and can prove to be comforting. You can try a handkerchief with your scent in it or an inexpensive jewelry item that the child can carry to the daycare. Experts suggest that this turns out to be an amazing cure for the homelessness and can be helpful to the child. You can also choose a family portrait or a picture book that the child can hold onto when you are not there.
2. Make the goodbye ritual: Bidding goodbye can be very difficult when you leave your child at the daycare, and this is why most of the parents end up lingering at the door while dropping off their child. However, if you work out a healthy and natural way like kissing the forehead and saying I love you, giving a high-five or chaste kisses on the cheeks, the process of sendoff can become a lot easier. Apart from this, the habit of saying goodbye also helps to send some positive vibes to the child. So make sure that you never skip this part.
3. Talk it through: Talking the whole scenario with the child about how the daycare thing is going to be can be very helpful as it creates a sense of predictability and assures the child that things are going to be alright in the absence of the parents. Try to tell them how the environment is going to be in the daycare and make sure to keep this conversation light so that your child doesn’t get stressed up.
4. Try to make a gradual start: For the initial days of daycare, you can choose to start with a part-time schedule. You can be with the child for the first day and then start leaving them for about half an hour and then gradually increase the time so that the transition period can be a little more comfortable. You can also visit the daycare with your child before starting the full-time schedule so that the child can get a prior idea about the place and the surroundings.

 

FOR THE PARENT

5. Pack everything a night before: One of the most hectic things while dealing with the daycare is to remember everything to pack because small kids require a lot of items throughout the day. Make a checklist of all the necessary items and pack them the night before so that you don’t forget anything in the haste of early morning packing. Make sure to pack diapers, wipes, lunch and snacks, some extra sets of clothes. You can also pack some seasonal items like sunscreen and hats as required.
6. Go out more often: Stepping out of the house and leaving a “See you in a couple of hours, we’re going out for dinner/movie” note can be helpful in preparing your child for the separation phase. This also avoids the child from becoming over-dependent on the parents.
7. Have a habit of regular check-ins: Leaving your child in someone else’s hands brings a lot of stress on a parent’s mind as there is a constant worry that just doesn’t get out of the head. This is why it is advised to do regular check-ins to the daycare to know how your child is feeling there. Also, make sure to involve in frequent conversations with the daycare providers and do not forget to take the regular updates.
8. Do thorough research: Before choosing the daycare for your child, make very sure about the tiniest details regarding the daycare providers. Also, you can visit some websites that have parenting tips and product reviews to get a detailed knowledge of the other aspects related to daycare. Experts also suggest reading some good books about daycare like Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney or The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

 

Conclusion

 In the light of above discussion, it can be said that daycare takeoffs can be managed if you follow the tips mentioned above.