Going from the home to daycare can be trying for many toddler-aged children. However, it's an important step for your child to make to prepare for kindergarten down the road. It may also be necessary to free up your time so that you can start working again. 

The following are six things you can do when your toddler starts daycare to help your child get used to the changes:

Take your toddler to the daycare location to visit beforehand

You shouldn't arrange things so that your toddler's first day in daycare is the first time that he or she has ever been to the daycare facility. Visit beforehand with your child so that your child can get a feel for the place and knows what to expect on the first day. 

Discuss the change with your toddler and answer his or her questions

Children handle changes best when they feel comfortable about discussing those changes with their parents.

Your child will no doubt have a lot of questions about what daycare is and what it's going to be like. Make sure you give your toddler the chance to ask all of these questions and express their feelings about going to daycare. 

Read to your child and prepare your child for the educational part of daycare

Many daycare programs will involve educational activities. You can prepare your child for these activities by working on learning the alphabet and counting. Also, you can read stories to your child and create an organized schedule for activities in the days and weeks leading up to their first daycare day. 

Try to give your toddler as much control as possible

Beginning daycare can make toddlers feel like they have little control over what's going on in their lives. You can help your child to deal with this by allowing your child to make more everyday choices before and while they're attending daycare.

You can also allow your toddler to take transition objects along to daycare with them like a favorite blanket, picture, or stuffed animal as long as it's permitted by the daycare facility. 

Look around to find the best daycare program available

There are many options out there when it comes to daycare programs. Ideally, you want to find an option that's conveniently located to your home and where your child will feel comfortable. Bring your child along to tour different daycare facilities and give them some say in the decision making where possible. 

Communicate with the staff members of the daycare facility

Communicating with staff members at the daycare facility is important because they can give you more advice on how toddlers can adjust to attending their program. Ask staff members how your child is behaving during daycare so that you can address any issues that come up and make sure that your child is happy with the facility. 

These are just a few ways to ensure your toddler enjoys daycare. For more tips and suggestions, contact services such as Preston Kiddie Kollege.

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