Transition times are often difficult for parents, children and the daycare teachers that serve their families. However, there are several things that can be done to ease
For many parents, one of the most tedious and emotionally draining times of the day are when they drop off and pick up their children from daycare. They have worries that they are abandoning their children in the morning; when they arrive to pick up their kids and head home for some quality time together their children don't want to leave.
Morning
In a nation of sleep-deprived parents, many families begin the day in a flurry of lunch preparation and wheedling to get sleepy children dressed and in the car. This causes the moment of goodbye to be possibly the first moment of undivided attention the child has received from their parent that day. They want to extend this time of closeness as long as possible, as well as desiring assurance that they are still loved and cared for.
Also, another difficulty may be found in the issue of timing. Mornings are typically a well-structured time in daycares, featuring Circle Time, centers, stories, recess, art, and a variety of other activities. Children may find it difficult to transition into the school environment when all of the other children are already engaged in an activity and they feel like they are intruding if they try to enter into the mix.
There are several ways to ease the tension of this transitional time. One of the most successful of these is changing the routines that are creating the hectic feelings in children in the morning. Purchase prepackaged lunch items or prepare several days worth of food at a time, lay out clothes for the next day the night before, enforce a "family bed time," and make sure to leave a few minutes each morning that are centered around your special little people, rather than on your demanding work schedule.
Another strategy that may help involves finding the best time to enter daycare in the morning. A couple of the parents at my school choose to bring their children in at an earlier time simply because they do not want to disturb Circle Time, which happens daily at 9 am.
One struggle for daycare teachers to know is if you as a parent would prefer for us to intervene when your child is upset at your leaving, or give you privacy for another hug or a quiet conversation. You may find it useful to speak with your child's morning teachers about solutions to make this time easier.
(Look for Part 2 of this article, discussing the difficulties of the transition of children being picked up in the afternoon.)
