7 Survival Tips for Mom's First Daycare Experience

That first day back to work is difficult. But what may be even harder is that first day and the weeks after, dropping your child or infant off at daycare. All your worries and fears appear long before you pull into the driveway and as you hand your baby over to their caregiver or hug and kiss your preschooler or kindergartner. Every horror story about daycare you have ever heard is remembered on the drive to work, and before you even finish starting your computer you are on the phone to the daycare provider, whether it be an individual or center, asking for information about your son or daughter.

Here are five tips from someone who has been a preschool/daycare teacher and director of 6 years, an at home daycare provider and someone who has already dropped two children off to school and daycare (20 and 13 now) as well as in the fall preparing my younger children for their first preschool experience.

1. Be Calm: Babies and children can pick up on the stress you are experiencing. Many moms and dads are upset, worried, fearful and stressed about dropping their children off for the first time and during the first few weeks. There is a perfectly natural reason for this, but it is best to learn to control you emotions so that your child does not feel them also. This is your child and and naturally you feel that no one can really take as good care of her as you can -- and maybe you are right. But your sighs, tears, high pitched voice or any other signs of stress actually cause the child to act upset, worried and fearful.