Tips to help settle into care

Starting childcare is a new experience for families and children. Like all new experiences in life, they can be exciting, but often leave us a little worried and anxious. Most babies and children need between 4 to 6 weeks to settle into their new surroundings. So we hope these helpful tips might just make the transition a little less stressful.

• Every baby and child is an individual - so lots of patience is needed
• Attend at least one, hopefully two orientation visits with your child
• Organise your kindy bag the night before
• For the first three weeks, keep days as short as possible
• Don't leave home in a rush - make sure you have time to change your baby's nappy on arrival, talk with staff, write information specific for your child onto their Daily Routine page. For older children spend some time reading a book or doing a puzzle
• Always say goodbye - tell them you will be back in the afternoon
• Ask the staff about anything - no matter how small it might be
• Call us as many times as you like - we know how reassuring this is
• Be positive when talking about day care
• When you arrive in the afternoon give your baby or child a big cuddle before you worry about their daily routines. Tell them you have missed them and that you love them
• Encourage your baby or child to wave goodbye to their carers and say we'll see you tomorrow
• On your journey home, talk about what you did today, about their day and what's going to happen when they get home

It takes time and trust to build relationships, so let's make sure we have lots of both. Feel free to call us anytime or make an appointment if you would like to discuss something face-to-face. We want to make the child care experience a good experience for not only your child, but also the parents.