3 Things You Can Do To Ease Your Child's Anxiety About Being Dropped Off At Daycare
Many parents choose to leave their child with a sitter or at a daycare while they work, go to school, or have some time to themselves. Large portions of children enjoy a daycare setting and love being around friends and other children. However, there can be times when the child is anxious to leave the parents and stay on their own. This kind of anxiety can make the goodbye hard each time the child is dropped off at daycare. Here are some things that you can do as a parent to help your child feel more comfortable.
1. Listen
It is very important that you don't ignore the child's concerns. In many cases the child will be sad because they simply miss their parent. But in other situations there may be some merit to their anxiety. Perhaps they have another child that they are afraid of, something could have happened that compromised their safety, or they could be worried about your safety. Don't simply dismiss your child's concern because they are small. Instead, take the time to listen to the child so that you can talk through the anxiety and make sure that they safe. If needed stay and observe for some time before dropping the child off.
2. Don't Rush The Child In The Morning
Another reason that the child could be feeling anxious is that they are too rushed. If a child doesn't feel like they have enough time to get things together they might not feel ready physically or emotionally for a daycare setting. This is why it is best to be as prepared as possible. If needed, set out the child's clothing, have breakfast on the go, and get their bags packed for them. Wake them up with plenty of time to get ready before you force them out the door. If you are stressed about being late and are nagging the child to hurry, it may disrupt the whole morning.
3. Try To Schedule More Time Together
Lastly, if the child is having a hard time with your leaving it may be because they miss you. If you give the child something to look forward and more quality time together they may feel satisfied and ready to play with their sitter and friends. If the child knows that later in the day or week they will get to do something fun with you it may help them feel happier to be dropped off at daycare.
By doing these simple things you can ease your child's anxiety about being dropped off at daycare. Talk to a center, like Advantage Learning Center, for more tips.
Share