Forum Index
»
Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers
Starting DayCare
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I am not going back to work until January but I am starting daycare in Nov. (that's when a slot was open and I didn't want to take the chance of a spot not being open for me in January). So, I was thinking of gradually introducing him to the daycare. Has anybody done this and how do you recommend doing it? I was thinking I would take him on Tuesday and Thursday for 1/2 day. Any other suggestions on how I should wean myself and him into this setting. He will be 4 1/2 months at the beginning of Nov.
Thanks! |
Anonymous
| At 4.5 mos he will have no idea what is going on and there will probably be very little in the way of transition. |
tracenik
Member Offline
Member Offline
| All of the daycares I toured said they recommended a transition of 2-3 days, but at this age, they say it's more for the parents' benefit than the infant's. Good luck! |
Anonymous
|
When my son was 4.5 months, we transitioned over about 3 weeks BEFORE i went back to work. This was VERY helpful because..
1) he was exclusively breastfed and took awhile to get used to bottles. 2) it also allowed me to slowly work up to pumping for all those feedings instead of starting all at once. 3) i was a total mess, missed him terribly, and 4-5 hours was about all I could handle leaving him for. 4) i had more time to "hang out" at pick up and drop off (instead of rushing off to work), so got to feel more comfortable with the staff. good luck! |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks 22:43! I have another question. When you started the transition, did you do the drop off in the morning or did you vary the time you dropped him off? |
Anonymous
|
Not the PP, but my spot opened in October, and I wasn't going back until November. He was also about 4 months old at the time. I would drop him off at non-peak hours (between 10 and 3) and would leave him for a couple of hours at a time. I used the free time to shop, get my hair cut, or take naps.
It was good for me to get used to the center and for the teachers to get used to him. |
Anonymous
| PP here--Ditto, I would nurse around 6am, again around 8:30 or 9, then drop him off. I would go for a walk/run, clean around the house, go to the breastfeeding center to get fitted for new bras, etc. Then pick him up. Some days I didn't make it past a few hours til I would "need" to go get him. Fair warning, the first day, he got completely hysterical when he saw me when I picked him up and I ended up nursing him there just to calm him down. He's 18m now, and still in that daycare (2 days a week, I decided to work part time eventually), and he loves it there. The extended transition was definitely for my benefit. |
Anonymous
| Initially I'd recommend to dropping off and picking up in the non-peak hours when the teachers have more time to talk to you. I also would spend an hour in the class before leaving during this transitional phase -- it really helped give me perspective on how the class ran, how the teachers interacted with the babies, etc. |
Anonymous
| The only thing about starting a lot earlier than you need to is that you're going to be exposing him to daycare germs at a younger age than necessary. We started a month early for the same reason - to secure a slot - and my son got sick within 2 weeks. The good thing about still being at home when this happens is that you don't have to take time off of work to stay home with a sick child. But, the bad thing is that the younger they are the more difficult it is to manage an illness - colds for my now 2 year old are no big deal, but at age 5 months were a huge pain involving humidifiers, nasal spray, lots of night wakings and breast feeding, etc. So, if I would you I may wait until Dec. 1 to start - that way, you'll still have plenty of time to transition, but your child will have an extra month of immunity and maturity to better handle the germs. |