https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 19:11:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923731 Tue, 11 May 2021 12:26:20 +0000 foodiebee 2923731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: These are great thoughts. We also strive to be in and out quick at drop-off, and DS's teachers have said that this makes it 1000% easier. He would be more upset if I was there than when I left. Additionally, we talked all the time about school and what he would do at school and drove by it to show him the school. It was a very regular part of conversation so that when it was time to go, he wasn't shocked. </p> <p>The other thing our school did was send us home with a nap cot so that DS could get used to the idea of sleeping on it. He's still in his crib at home and had never seen one. We put it in our playroom with his nap mat and talked all the time about how at school he would take his naps on it, so that when he started, he knew what was going on with that. It also helped us that he was starting at a Montessori school, so there are older kids in his classroom who he could look to for behavior modeling and guidance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923725 Tue, 11 May 2021 09:46:12 +0000 Chuckles 2923725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: @foodiebee: @karenbme: @MrsSRS: @cake2017: @Mama Bird: Thank you to everyone for the reassurance and ideas! I will definitely reach out to the school this summer to try to arrange to meet the teachers ahead of time outside and play on the playground. I also like the idea of at least bringing her into the lobby to drop off her things before she starts. I wonder if we could also do a park playdate with any of the kids who will be in her class. We have a pretty active neighborhood parents FB group where I could post about it.<br /> @karenbme: Yes, she's starting the week before I go back to work, so the first week I think she'll just stay for a little while each day. I want it to be long enough though that she can hopefully calm down and play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923718 Mon, 10 May 2021 22:25:35 +0000 Mama Bird 2923718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do the kids ever go outside? Could you stop by at some point when they're playing outdoors and introduce her to the kids and teachers? My 2.5 year old is starting day care this summer and I think I may end up doing that. She sort of knows the day care - her big sister used to go there - but hasn't been anywhere near it for a year. Even worse, she hasn't been with anyone who's not family ever. That was so not the plan, but that's just how life happened... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923715 Mon, 10 May 2021 18:21:12 +0000 cake2017 2923715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chuckles: I just went through this in March with my 18 month old. We took her there the weekend before and walked around the school(outside) talking about it and telling her she was going there. We also dropped her stuff off the friday before the week so i wasn’t hauling diapers etc and a crying toddler... they brought the teacher out to say hello and that helped. My LO is very shy and only been home with me and family her entire life. A few tears off and on and she was fine after a week and half. Yours will be okay especially if she has been in daycare before... just keep talking about it with her and making it exciting. I’d definitely take a trip and ask if she can meet a teacher! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923714 Mon, 10 May 2021 16:28:58 +0000 MrsSRS 2923714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just wanted to offer some soothing words from the perspective of a former daycare teacher. We train for this, we're used to this, and honestly sometimes it's significantly easier without the parent there. Not having a parent around allows the child to see the teacher as a potential source of comfort instead of as a danger and it's often easier to distract them and engage them in the fun things in the classroom when there isn't a parent there. And little ones take comfort from seeing that other little ones feel safe and are playing. I spent lots of time holding a sad baby on my lap as they get used to the new space. In less time than you would think they usually wiggle down and go off to find something interesting.</p> <p>I would check out as many books about going to school as you can find at the library. Especially focus on the ones for very young children and babies that are photo heavy and word light. You don't need to read books about children feelings sad or wanting mommy to come back at this age, you want pictures of groups of children eating together, playing, finger painting, taking naps on cots... And you can start driving by the school and waving to it and saying hello school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923709 Mon, 10 May 2021 12:21:33 +0000 karenbme 2923709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in a similar situation--transitioning 18mo from in-home to center in June, and have similar worries. Similar to your kiddo she is very shy around strangers and even neighbors she's seen a couple of times. Our daycare is doing tours on the weekend, so we're bringing DD for a tour twice before she starts so that she can see the center and her room, but we aren't going to get to stay at all when there are other kids there (even though we'll both be fully vaccinated). It might be worth asking if you can at least bring her for a tour when the center is otherwise empty. </p> <p>We're also starting slow and doing a transition where the amount of time she's there during week 1 will be fully dependent on how she does. The plan is for the first day to just be an hour, and then if that goes well the second day will be 2 hours and then half days (pick up before nap) the rest of the week, with the possibility of full days if we feel comfortable. But that gives us flexibility to ease her in and limit stress as much as possible. I recognize that you might not be able to juggle half days, or less, at daycare, but my husband's company has been great and even before covid offered a bank of dependent care time for employees that he's able to use for this. It also helps that she takes a 3 hour nap most afternoons, so he's able to put in a half day even if she's only in care for an hour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923707 Mon, 10 May 2021 09:59:10 +0000 foodiebee 2923707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our DS started at a new school in January at 18mo after being home for the previous 10 months. We brought him to visit the school beforehand (he wasn't allowed inside the classroom but could play on the playground by himself and meet his teachers), and it really helped him when he started. I don't know if that's possible for you. It still took him time to adjust and he would cry at dropoff for a while, but now he loves it and walks right in. I'm sure she'll adjust after a bit and do great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923706 Mon, 10 May 2021 09:44:44 +0000 periwinklebee 2923706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>:heart: :heart: One thing to note is that regulations are changing pretty quickly as more people get vaccinated and the covid situation is under better control. Our state regulator now allows parents back into the classroom for dropoff/pickup, our center hasn't transitioned yet but probably will soon. So it's always possible things may be different in August. </p> <p>Last September, we started my 9 month old in daycare for the first time. The only people she had been around before were us and a babysitter, and she seemed super scared of other people. We weren't allowed in the building due to regulations. Yet she surprised us by doing amazingly well. By the second day, it was as if she had always been there.... My 2.75 year old had a harder transition, even though he'd always been in that center for 1.5 years before covid. Just to say, sometimes kids can really surprise you, and have a much easier time than expected. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/transition-to-daycare-in-these-times#post-2923704 Mon, 10 May 2021 09:04:22 +0000 Chuckles 2923704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 18 month old is probably going to be transitioning from our nanny to a daycare starting in August. We've heard amazing things about the daycare, so I think it will, eventually, be a good experience for her. The only thing is that she is super shy around new people, like she won't even look at them for quite awhile after meeting them and will burrow into me or DH. And because of covid, I can't visit the daycare room with her at all before she starts or stay in the room with her for the first 10 minutes on her first day. Parents can only be in the lobby area. I literally have to be like - here's a new place with all new people, good bye! It's already killing me to think about how upset she's going to be. She does love watching other kids and people once she warms up, so I know in the long run she will enjoy it. Any words of wisdom or advice? </p>