Parents want to give what’s best for the care, development, and education of their children. In our society today where both parents are usually working to support their respective families, the need for daycare or nursery services is growing. Toddlers between the age of two and three are starting to develop some sort of independence and curiosity, and they also begin to be interested in interacting with other children. As a parent, this is a good age to prepare them for pre-school and to train them to socialize with other children. With the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic not yet dissipating and with other safety concerns, we want to keep our children safe while we are away.
Here, in this article is some helpful advice on how to safely send your child to daycare and have peace of mind while being away from them.
Give Your Child a Fun Self-Help Practice
If you have decided that now is a good time to send your child daycare, make use of the time you have with your child to train them. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way schools and other places of learning operate and preparing for nursery after lockdown can be a jittery experience for both parents and children. To relax the atmosphere and develop a sense of excitement in your child, encourage them to fasten their shoes, wear their clothes and coats, and wear their bags in a fun and creative way. Make them play imitating games with you showing how to do things. Hold backyard picnics and have them bring and open their lunchboxes to prepare them to open lunchboxes on their own. Get them to know some basic and useful self-help skills for their days away.
Visit the Daycare Together with Your Child
Getting your child ready for daycare also takes some conditioning for them to get used to their new environment. As a parent, you need to check with the nursery’s administrators on how they ensure the safety of the children under their care, what are their care and educational philosophies, and what are the schedules for dropping off and picking up your child. Coordinate with the daycare on when you can have a tour of the school. Visit the school together with your child several times before your child starts the nursery program. Let both you and your child explore the rooms and playgrounds to make them comfortable and confident in their new learning environment.
Get Your Child’s Needs Ready
Preparation for nursery goes beyond the physical preparations such as their shoes, backpacks, school clothes, water bottles, snacks, lunch boxes, and other stuff. Teach them safety preparations and practices such as keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer attached to their backpacks and washing their hands before snacks and lunch. Mental and emotional preparations for the nursery are also essential, and you need to reassure your child that daycare is a good place to have fun and to learn.
Have pretend-play sessions with your child of the usual scenarios and activities in the nursery. Teach to say goodbye to you at school, greet other children, sing songs, read books, take naps, and play games. Make these sessions engaging and interactive for them to make them excited to start their program. Lastly, always ensure to bring them to and from daycare safely and on time by keeping your car in good shape and by driving safely.
Safety is one of the top concerns we cannot overlook for our children. Deciding to send your child to daycare benefits both the child and the parents. The child will learn to be more independent, be more sociable, and learn various things that will be useful when they grow up. Parents can lift off some load from watching over their children constantly and focus on their respective jobs. Ensuring that the nursery environment is safe and your child is well-prepared is essential in safely sending them to daycare and picking them up with smiles on their faces.
