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How To Deal With Your Child Crying When Starting Child Care

Even though you know that you are doing the proper thing, leaving your tiny tot in a Child Care Centre can make you feel miserable and guilty. Everytime your kid cries when you leave the Centre, it is heartrending and sometimes you find yourself crying too! While it is expected for your kid to be picking up on your stress at separation, it is not uncommon for even the caregivers to feel stressed. We will discuss here the ways in which you can manage the stress and help your child adapt to the new routine.

There could be several reasons why your child and you find it difficult to cope with the separation. Fear of desertion is the most common amongst kids in Child Care. The child can also sense your anxiety while you drop him off.

Sometimes, the activities planned  by the Child Care Centre may not be appropriate to your child’s interests and temperament.

Also, your child may not like the food provided there, or the large number of children and teachers may be a bit too much for your child to cope with. Child Abuse is also likely but difficult to discern as your child may be frightened of telling you. But, if you feel that the child is unnaturally fearful of being left at the Centre, or cries more than usual, you should not rule out abuse.

Under normal circumstances, it takes about four weeks for the child to adapt to the new routine. So, don’t be alarmed if your child persists in crying as he will soon adapt once he realizes that you will be back to pick him up. Many children who don’t cry at the beginning, start crying all of a sudden after several weeks or months! Remember it is a natural reaction to change and the inability to control circumstances.

Here are some tips on how you and your child can cope with Child Care. It will be a good thing to let your child go with you to the Child Care Centre if you are just about to start him on Child Care. This will give your child a personal exposure to the Centre and might even make it a fun place to go to. Stay in the Centre for at least a couple of hours so that your child can watch the other children participating in activities and games. You can also introduce the caregivers to your child so he will not feel like he is  being abandoned with complete strangers when he starts Day Care. This will give some assurance to you and your child as you can watch how the caregivers are taking care of the other children.

To begin with you should leave your child for just an hour and then slowly increase by an hour every day until you reach full time as this will gently ease him into the new routine. Make sure you say your byes and leave immediately. Never delay your departure or overly comfort your child when he cries when you prepare to leave. You could maybe leave the consoling to the caregiver, which will aid their bonding. When you talk about your child’s progress at the Child Care Centre, always use encouraging words and never sound negative or anxious as children easily pick up on their parents’ emotions and react accordingly.

Ensure that your schedule for drop and pick up is consistent. This will help your child become more convinced that you will be there to take him home at a particular time. This helps your child to calm down and enjoy the games and activities and also to make new friendships with the other children. The child will also benefit with carrying a favourite blanket or toy from home to the Child Care Centre.

There are instances where the child could be getting stressed at the Centre because he is under the care of caregivers who themselves are stressed out. A primary childcare provider is very important if your child is a baby or toddler. This aids in the child bonding with one or two adults instead of many strange new faces. Request for regular meetings with the management and your child’s caregivers to get an idea of your child’s activities. How long does it take for him to stop crying  after you are gone? Are they able to distract him and get him involved in other activities? Is he making new friends or is he withdrawn?

Child care can never be a replacement forthe warmth, attention, and love your child gets at home, but it can be beneficial in lots of ways including social interaction, exposure to outdoor activities, and access to expensive educational toys, etc. With the right approach and planning, Child Care can really work for you and your child.

This article is contributed by Child Care Melbourne and Child Care Croydon.