With workplaces reopening, you may need to prepare to take your children back to daycare. Like any of the life transitions we all make, the better prepared your children are for the return to daycare, the smoother the transition will be.
4 Ways to Help Your Children Transition Back to Daycare
Some children are more ready for changes than others. One or more of the following suggestions can help give your children the reassurance they need to look forward to returning to daycare.
1. Keep Them Informed
The sooner you introduce the idea of returning to daycare, the more chances you have of easing the transition. Let them know it’s happening. You can explain that COVID isn’t as much of a problem as it was. Remind them of all the fun and friends they have at daycare. Also, listen to their thoughts and concerns, and answer any questions about returning to daycare. And make them part of the conversations too.
2. Restart the Daycare Routine
Routines tend to be a little less routine at home. But, you’ll reduce the friction of returning to a more regular routine by starting it at home. Gradually introduce parts of the routine, like waking them when they would need to be woken for daycare. Then maybe start using the same meal and nap times. And get them to bed early enough for a good night’s sleep.
3. Get Into Some Daycare Activities
Ideas for this can come from your children. Do they remember their favourite activities from the last time they went to daycare? Spend sometime with them doing those activities. If they don’t recall any activities, you can try some of those you know your daycare uses.
4. Make Time for Family Time
No one likes change. For children, they may not want to lose the security of other family members at home. Or they may think they will lose some of those times they now cherish. So try to continue to do all the things they enjoy most at home. This way, they will see that things will remain very much the same, even though they are returning to daycare.
To learn more about what happens at daycare, check out our recent article The Benefits of Napping at Daycare.