any tips for easing into daycare?

my girls will be starting day care next week. they will be 1 year old and 2 weeks.
I stopped by the daycare today on my own to pay and talk to the director. she said the first day they should go about 8am till at least 11:30am after nap is done. now i can't see how my girls will adjust well enough to nap but anyway that's their policy, they want children there a good length of time from the first day.
they've never been with anyone but me or dh. except for last week while Nefeli was in the hospital and my parents were here for 5-6 hours with Iris but still she was in her familiar surroundings with her grandparents so that was fine.
i was planning to start them in day care monday but Nefeli has a dr appointment tuesday morning so that means we wouldn't get there in time. so what do you think I should do? take them in monday and then again wednesday or just start on wednesday?
now they are used to waking up at about 8am should i start waking them up earlier a couple days before they have to or just wake them up early on the day they start day care?
also, they will have different food there some meals. should i make the same here the next days so they don't find it too strange to eat?
can you think of any tips? what helped yours adjust? how long did it take them to adjust?
i'm ok with them starting but would really like to make it as smooth as possible of a transition for them.
thanks so much for your help.

 

You will be amazed at how quickly they adjust to the 'daycare way'! They seem to just follow what the other kids are doing. Sometimes that is the best way to get them to do something new. Mine will do things at daycare that they won't do at home. Like take a nap on a mat/floor. They also don't use their pacifiers at daycare, not even at naptime. But at home, that is a different story. They will hand over their pacis before we even get into the door of the daycare. Could you maybe take them there one day just to see their room and play for a few minutes? We did that, and mine didn't want to leave! Now, when it came to the first day, they cried of course. But at least they had been there before and it wasn't a total stange place. I would start them on Monday, and then go back Wednesday. You could wake them earlier a couple of days before and maybe try to get them on the same nap schedule as the daycare. Don't worry, they will adjust. Good Luck!!

 

We took the girls with us when we looked at our daycare. They jumped right in and started playing with the kids that were there that day. However, one or both usually still cry when I drop them off in the mornings. The teacher says that it doesn't last long. The last couple of days have been good. Neither one of them has cried. I think it makes a difference whether or not some of the other kids are already there when we get there. We have been at the daycare since May 1st. Before that, we had a family friend that kept them at her house. I agree with the PP that they do things at daycare that they won't do at home. They nap, on the floor mats, for 1.5 to 2 hours at daycare, but we can barely get them to take a 30 minute nap at home on the weekends. I think it is good for them to be around the other kids and have lots of activities throughout the day. I am not creative enough to keep them entertained like that all day. Good luck!

 

The 4th is our first day but the girls are excited about going to "school"

 

Hi, I worked in Daycare/Preschools for years prior to becoming a mommy. Here are some things that I think are helpful when a child is starting daycare.

I think it is great to let the child go to the daycare a few times to get to know the teacher/director and perhaps
get to know a few of the kids. That way it isnt so new to them. When it is time to actually start the daycare is
somewhat familiar to them.

Before dropping off at daycare tell the child what they might be doing throughout the day at the daycare.

When you drop off your child make the drop off short and sweet. Dont prolong the goodbye. It only makes it worse.
Reasure your child that you will be back soon to pick them up. Sign In, Hug, Kiss,Goodbye.

Send along something that is special to them(a blanket for nap, doll). Sometimes having something from home
makes it easier on them.

Perhaps have them hold on to something for you till you get back. Something that is yours but you are entrusting
your child to take care of it till you can get back them.

If you tell them that you are going to pick them after nap time REALLY try hard to pick them up after naptime.

****If they cry it while you are leaving it wont last long. REALLY. There were so many times a child would be cry SO HARD and as soon as the parent was out of the driveway the crying had stoped and the playing began. Remember you can always call and see how your child/dren are doing. Good daycares encourage parents to call. Drop in anytime to check up on them(anytime). That will build your comfort level in who is taking care of your child. Any daycare that has a problem with you calling or just stopping by unannounced is not a good daycare.

Hope all goes well and your kids enjoy this experience. Daycare can be such a good learning experience for kids and also the parents.

Cherie
Ramzie 6/8/00
Malena & Sofia 6/27/03

 

This isn't a tip for settling them into daycare, more for making your life easier and their routine more consistent...If your girls will be going to daycare five days a week, you might want to start following the daycare routine (as much as you can) on weekends - ie, putting the girls down to nap at the same time, and giving them meals and snacks at about the same time. I have learned a couple of "tricks" from daycare (my girls have never been fulltime, but did go three days per week last year and now two days each week). One of them is giving them a fruit-only morning tea, having them play hard (at the park or whatever) all morning, then filling them up at lunchtime - when they still slept in the daytime, it seemed to set them up for a good long afternoon sleep with a full tummy. Another thing I like about my kids' daycare is just the balance of group/teacher led vs "independent" play activities - I find that at home, my girls will often play really well together for forty five minutes or so - then, they really need my input. If I can "catch" them before they start to fall apart and fight, I can usually spend half an hour or so doing an activity with them (playdough, stories, puzzles or outside play) then they'll play together well for another chunk of time (we're talking on a good day, of course!). It gives our days at home a rhythm, if we're spending the day at home. Good luck with starting daycare!

Tania

 

Do (or will) YOU need them to be in daycare by 8am? Otherwise I would not change their routine because of what the director said-the daycare should accommodate you, not you them. If you want/need them to be up earlier then yes, I'd start waking them at that time a couple of days before.
I wouldn't worry too much about food, they will probably be fine with having different things.

When I worked in daycare the thing we stressed most for settling in was visits. I'd recommend taking your girls in at least once before they start, twice if you can fit it in. That way on their first day they won't be somewhere completely strange to them.

I second the ideas of taking a special toy or comfort item with them, talking about what they will do/who they will see, telling them when you'll be back (after lunch, after nap) and making a quick exit.

QUOTE
****If they cry it while you are leaving it wont last long. REALLY. There were so many times a child would be cry SO HARD and as soon as the parent was out of the driveway the crying had stoped and the playing began. Remember you can always call and see how your child/dren are doing. Good daycares encourage parents to call. Drop in anytime to check up on them(anytime). That will build your comfort level in who is taking care of your child. Any daycare that has a problem with you calling or just stopping by unannounced is not a good daycare.

I totally agree.

 

I started mine a month early and they went 1-3 days a week and we worked our way up. Mine didn't nap the first day, but did from then on! Drew still cries a little in the morning, but as soon as the door shuts he is off and playing! Good luck! It will be harder on you then them! I cried the whole way home!

 

Thanks so much for your great advise!
Just to clarify. I will be going back to work October 1st. Then I will be dropping of the girls at about 7:30am and picking them up at about 2:30pm.
The day care they will be going to wants them to start out with a 3-4 hour day and then work up to the full schedule in the next two or three weeks adding more hours to their day.
I was thinking it would be less confusing if from day one they go everyday so they can get used to it rather than starting with a couple days a week.
I will be going over Friday with the girls to take care of some paperwork and they'll get to meet their teachers. hopefully they will get to spend a little time in their new class. Parents are not allowed in the class but can watch the children from outside whenever they want and can also drop off or pick them up anytime.
Any other advise would be great. I'm ok with this but nervous.

Can I tell you my fantasy? I'm hoping they will adjust nicely and I will have one or two weeks of mornings to myself before I have to go back to work!!! After 5 months strict bedrest and 1 year of being a sahm with no help, no babysitter, no nothing I am looking forward to some me time before having to go back to work. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it works out as I want it to.

 

I agree with everyone else's advice, but just to address one of your specific questions -- if they're going to be out Tuesday for sure, I wouldn't start them Monday and then skip a day -- I'd wait till Weds to start them.

Mine started daycare very early (8 weeks), so they were used to the routine, but it was still a big adjustment going to the toddler room at 14 months -- to them it was a completely new place and a different experience. The dropoff for the first few days was hard -- they cried a lot and didn't want me to leave them -- but after that it was pretty much fine.

And ditto was PP said about getting used to the "daycare way" -- I can't believe some of the things they do there that I can't imagine them doing at home! So don't worry too much about that aspect of it (the naps, food, etc.) -- you'll be amazed how quickly they get used to it. GL, I hope it goes well.

 

I'm taking my girls to daycare tomorrow for an hour to meet and play with their classmates

 

QUOTE(bkimberly @ Aug 29 2007, 02:45 PM) [snapback]385163[/snapback]
It will be harder on you then them! I cried the whole way home!


I second that! My girls have been in daycare for 3wks now (and they LOVE it) and I still have to fight back the tears when I drop them off each morning. DH usually does the pick ups so he gets all of the love in that regard.

I was kind of surprised to hear you aren't allowed in the room with them. I've always been encouraged to come in to the room and interact with the teachers and kids. I don't know if my girls would have been as comfortable at first if I wasn't able to show them that *I* was comfortable in their room, kwim?

I hope it goes great for you. It might be a little bit of an adjustment but they'll do just great. The sign-in, kiss and go quickly advice is KEY to success, imo. Good luck!

 

Thanks for all your great advise. I'll be taking them in tommorrow for a brief tour and maybe wait till Wednesday to start. It's just that I've been saying we'll start the 3rd of september for months now and if i don't go i'm afraid i'll start making excuses not to on other days as well :unsure:
I know the no parent's in the room policy does sound strict but I think it's an attempt to keep out any unnecessary germs (in Greece everyone is a germophobe) and also to make it clear to the children that this is where they will be without parents. For me I think it will work because it would be harder for me (and subsequently the girls) to be there for a little while and then leave. This way it's short and sweet drop off and then I can be on my way to find somewhere nice to hang out, have some coffee and cry till it's time to pick them up :cray:

 

All the advice was great! I also sent mine on consecutive days (only 2 a week though) and mine were very attached. To my complete surprise only the first day was really rough. The second day only a few tears and by the next week no tears at all. I agree that leaving quickly is the best thing you can do for them. The longer you stay the more they hold out hope you won't leave and the more devastated they will be when you eventually do leave. If you leave right away they know that is the new routine and they seem to jump into play faster.

 

We went and spent an hour today in their class and Jazz didn't want to leave. I'm sure they will be fine now when they go to class. there are 6 other kids in their class and onl one is a boy!