Ten Tips for Parents with Children in Daycare

So you’ve decided to put your child in daycare.

You’ve researched your options, toured different centers, and talked to parents, kids, and teachers. That’s a good start, but your work isn’t done.

Finding a place where you’re comfortable leaving your child is only the beginning. Don’t just drop your child off and hope for the best. Remember, your child might spend the majority of his or her waking hours at this facility, with these people. Just because you can’t be there, doesn’t mean that you can’t have some control over what your child learns and does during the day.

Here are a few suggestions to make your child’s experiences away from home as safe, fun, and beneficial as when they’re with you.

DO ask about the teachers’ backgrounds and qualifications. You’ll want to know if your child’s teacher is a student or a graduate with a master’s degree in education. Do they sincerely care about children or are they just there for a paycheck?

DO label everything. Your child’s teacher is most likely caring for anywhere from 10-30 children a day. Multiply that number times the amount of items each child brings with them each day: extra pants, shirts, hats, lunch boxes, toys, etc. Those extra few minutes spent trying to find the owner a rogue t-shirt or missing blanket add up over the course of the day. And that’s valuable time that could’ve been better spent teaching or playing with your child.

DO pack extra clothes. Kids have accidents and get dirty all the time. It makes everyone’s life easier if you provide a spare outfit (from underwear to shoes) in plastic bags that won’t leak. Anyone who spends time with children knows why that’s important.