Helpful Tips for Daycare
As I write this, summer is coming to an end; it’s officially the last holiday weekend of the summer. My oldest has already started school, although it’s virtual at the moment. A lot of parents are getting ready to head back to work in person and that means a lot of kids are heading back to daycare or possibly daycare for the first time (for all those quarantine babies).
So, if you haven’t already selected a daycare, there are some things you want to consider when it comes to sleep. Depending on the age of your child, you most likely have a sleep schedule you follow along with a feeding schedule. You want to make sure your daycare will be willing to follow a schedule for your child or will be open to your requests.
Where will your child be sleeping?
Are there separate rooms with cribs or is it one room with cribs all next to one another? Is the room kept bright during the day since the babies may be napping at different times? If you have a toddler, most likely all of the kids will be laying down at the same time. You want to ask if you need to bring a mat or blanket for them.
You have to remember the sleep environment at daycare will not be the same as at home and your child will adapt. But asking some questions will help you better prepare for the transition. Are you able to bring comfort items in? For example, your child’s lovey or blanket? A sound machine to help drown out the noise? If your child has a pacifier, I would absolutely bring that and let daycare know. My girls were both pacifier babies and this was helpful for naps at daycare.
You want to ask daycare if they will follow a schedule for your child’s nap versus just sticking with one time for every child. Most likely if your little one is taking multiple naps, daycare will be able to follow the schedule you provide. If your child is on one nap or none, this would be a sticking point for me when choosing a daycare.
The timing of that nap is so crucial to ensure bedtime stays on track. Often times, daycare has all of the kids lay down at the same time which may or may not be in line with when your little one naps currently. This is also crucial for kids that don’t nap or need to be woken up from a nap. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a toddler mom than a kid who won’t go to bed because he napped too long or too late in the day!
So, what can you do? Ask your daycare! Be upfront and let them know that your little one must not nap or can only nap during this window of time. If they aren’t willing to work with you or accommodate that then I wouldn’t be inclined to send your child there. Nap schedules are so crucial to keeping your child’s nighttime sleep on track. Remember, sleep begets sleep.
How do they handle feedings and getting your child to sleep?
One of the stressful parts of baby going back to daycare is making sure there’s enough bottles for the day and getting all of them prepped and labeled. I remember this process all too well. Breastfeeding can get super tricky when baby goes to daycare. You’re trying to pump at work to continue making enough milk and if you put too much in the bottles it can go to waste which is like dumping out liquid gold.
As it gets closer to baby going to daycare, I would start offering bottles (if not already) so you know exactly how much baby is taking in one feed (this is for formula and breastfed babies- formula is expensive!). Make sure you give them instruction on how often baby is fed and if you aren’t feeding baby to sleep you want to be clear about that, so they don’t reintroduce this sleep association.
How many care givers are in the room where your baby will be? I remember stressing about my baby not being able to fall asleep there because I had to feed and rock her to sleep. Would they be able to give my baby 1:1 time and get her to fall asleep? My girls are independent sleepers now, but as young babies that was not the case. But they both still managed to sleep well at daycare. Make sure you are clear about how your child gets to sleep and if there’s some crying how you would like them to respond.
Will your child be there a full day or half day? Some daycares have protocols they must follow when communicating with parents and some only communicate when you ask. I would ask what their communication looks like and be upfront about what you want to know.
It’s important (for your peace of mind but also to keep baby on track) to know how well baby is sleeping at daycare and how much they’re eating. The same goes for your toddler. This can be a tough transition especially if your little one has been home with you during quarantine and is now in a new environment.
Some daycares have an app you can log on to and they even send pictures to keep you informed and put your mind at ease. At the very least you should ask for a log letting you know when and how long naps were along with their feedings for the day. The daycare where my daughters attended had sheets that were filled out daily (including diaper changes) and sent home after pickup.
If you’re stressing about this a little bit, that’s completely normal! Daycare is a big change for little ones, but also for the parents! If you’re coming to the end of your maternity leave and heading back to work there are so many emotions going through your mind. I remember the first day I dropped both girls off as babies and headed back to work. You will be okay, momma and so will your little one! If you find yourself needing some sleep advice, schedule a sleep solution call today!