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Parenting Tips For Children Entering Childcare

It does not matter whether your child is a young baby or a three-year-old, when it is time for your child to enter a childcare facility for the first time, every parent's nerves are on edge. Because children pick up on stress and anxiety of parents, it is helpful to carefully think about the care process in advance. That is where these parenting tips are beneficial to you. From managing your nerves on the first day to packing the perfect snack box for your child, there are plenty of ways you can prepare yourself and your child to make their childcare experience a raging success.

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Parenting Tips for Children Entering Childcare

Is Your Child Ready For Childcare?

by Jane Fletcher

Making the choice to send your child to a childcare centre might seem like one that most parents are eager to make, but as the day draws near, many parents will find excuses and reasons to put it off. It is, after all, a frightening thought to leave your young children in the care of what amounts to strangers (albeit very well trained strangers). The truth is that you know deep down that a childcare centre is a very safe place and an important part of your child's development. If your child displays any of the following signs, then you should be completely reassured they are ready for childcare. 

They Are Active Around The House

When children first start to realise that they have some agency and can toddle around on their own legs, it can be exhilarating for you, the parent, but also quite annoying. They will grab anything not fastened down and for a time they will also chew on most objects, too. This excess energy can start at about one year old and is a clear sign that your child has the stamina and desire to play in a more controlled environment with more things to occupy their attention. 

They Enjoy Meeting Strangers 

Some children are naturally a little bit more sociable than others, even from a very young age. If your child loves to meet the cashier at the shops or your neighbours or even just someone random passing by with a dog, then you should encourage this behaviour by giving them new friends to meet in a childcare centre. These social bonds are an important part of a child's development, and initiating them on their own, without you around, is also key to their progression. Childcare is the safest place for this to happen without you around.

They Get Bored Around The House

When your child starts to hit the age of two or three, then they can start to seem a little bit more restless. While two or three years may not seem like that many, to your child they have spent their whole life inside the walls of your house and that can get boring. Most parents agree that around the age of three is the longest you can wait before sending your child to a childcare centre. They need extra stimulation and activities to keep themselves happy and feeling as though they are achieving something worthwhile (which they will at childcare). If you ever have any concerns, you can always meet with a local childcare centre and see what they think.

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