Tips on how to transition your baby to daycare 2of3

pg 2 of 3



Tips on how to transition your baby to daycare, home daycare, daycare transition, what to expect from daycare, babies first daycare

The truth is, this only soothes you! It actually drags out the process, confuses your baby and makes it so much harder on him or her! I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. This precious baby has zero concept of time. Also, babies thrive in a routine! So when you do this gradual entry, you are ruining their routine for that time, while also changing the routine they have become so used to while out of the blue every so often dropping them off to some stranger who they think they know but don’t actually know. Not to mention that right in the middle of all the changes are new things to get used to like: bed at nap time, different faces and voices, different surroundings, different smells, different toys and flooring and pets or no pets at all…. it’s just so much and so overwhelming!

My absolute best advise for you in this time is to just rip off the bandaid. Yep, I said it, just rip it off – OF YOU! When you change anything in your child’s life, even as young as a baby, the change will not hurt them or stress them nearly as much as the confusion that lack of routine and inconsistency will, I assure you! I would tell you to expect a month. One month of consistent new routine and your baby will be all in, used to it and so will you!

You will likely experience the following:




WEEK 1:

  • crying (even after you leave, probably for aprox 30-40 min)
  • reaching for you
  • very messed up nap and sleep schedule
  • appetite all out of wack
  • possibly a difference in amount of wet diapers and inconsistent bowel movements

WEEK 2:

  • crying (even after you leave, probably for aprox 20 min)
  • reaching for you and possibly clinging to you/holding onto your clothes and reaching for you
  • nap schedule getting better but not quite there yet, clingy at nighttime (probably from being left to “cry it out” at daycare)
  • appetite should be better but not completely unlikely to still be out of wack
  • wet diapers and bowel movements should be back to normal