When you’re getting ready to head back to work after having a baby, the prospect of dropping them off at daycare can get pretty anxiety-inducing. At Texas Children’s Academy, we’ve seen the stress on many parents’ faces when they bring them to the first day of daycare. With that in mind, we’ve gathered some quick tips to help you get ready for your baby’s first day. We want this to be a stress-free process for both you and your baby alike.

-Bottles In Reserve

Even if you think you have enough bottles, you could always use more. The last thing you want is for your baby to run out of food while they’re at daycare. You’ll also want some to have at work if you’re pumping, as well as a day’s worth ready at home. You’ll thank yourself for having extras at the ready in case you forget to run the dishwasher the night before.

-Sharpies and Labels

You’ll want to make sure everything from diapers to bottles is all clearly labeled so nothing gets misplaced. Whether you go with the Sharpie and handwrite everything or you print out labels to attach to them, it will help both you and the daycare keep track of what belongs to you and your little one.

-Diapers

More than likely, you’ll need to drop off a pack of diapers with your baby every week. Many parents have begun to use online delivery options to order cases of diapers automatically. That way, diapers are dropped off at your doorstep on a regular schedule and you’ll never have to worry about making an emergency trip to the store because your baby went through their supply faster than expected.

-Meet the Teachers

When you’re going to leave your child in someone’s care for hours at a time, it’s naturally a good idea to get to know them. Not only will this give you peace of mind about who is watching over your baby, this is often a good chance to gauge their personality and how they interact with children. Many daycare professionals are parents themselves and can relate to what you’re going through.

-Chat With Other Parents

Because daycare is going to be your baby’s first real experience in a social atmosphere, this is the first opportunity for them to create friendships. You can help foster those friendships by talking with the other parents when they drop off or pick up their kids. This is a great chance to set up playdates with kids that your little one is getting along with. Not only that, you might find a new friend yourself!

-Double Up Blankets

To provide a consistent environment for your baby, it’s recommended you get duplicates of blankets and sheets you use at home to bring in for daycare use. This change in scenery can be quite shocking to a baby, so providing things that feel and look the same as a home can help everything go smoothly at nap time. Check-in with what the nap routines are at the daycare so you can include them at home and provide even further consistency.

-Pop In Now and Then

It’s a good idea to see how the daycare operates outside of pick-up and drop-off times. Bring in lunch or stop by for storytime sometimes to see how everything is going. A daycare shouldn’t have anything to hide, so if for some reason they do not allow this, that might be a good sign to look elsewhere for your childcare services.

-Give Yourself Time

When you’re starting this new routine, it’s recommended you add at least 20 minutes to both pick up and drop off times. Nobody likes to feel rushed and that’s especially true when you’re heading to daycare. Set your alarm a little earlier and let your boss know you might need to leave a little early to ensure everything goes smoothly. Trust us, you’ll feel much better arriving early than you would if you got there late.

We know that bringing your baby to daycare for the first time is scary for everyone. Take these steps and research a quality daycare to ensure you have peace of mind when you return to work. For parents in Arlington, Texas Children’s Academy is here for all of your childcare needs. We hope to hear from you soon.