Parenting comes along with a multitude of decisions; big and small. One of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a working parent is deciding who will care for your child. Ask any parent what their top stressors are and I’ll bet childcare is in the top three. It can be daunting to find quality child care. Between the lack of qualified nannies and facilities, long waitlists and high costs, the burden can be quite heavy, depending on your unique circumstances.
Before I had children, I was naïve to the preschool world and how to navigate that world. Although many preschools are open year-round, most of them follow a public school calendar. August is typically when they admit new children for the upcoming school year and when the younger babies and children move up to the next class.
However, you may be offered a spot as early as six months prior or even further out from the actual start date. Conversely, you may get a call that your child has a spot from the waitlist that starts the following week, and you’ll have to decide pretty quickly to take the spot or forfeit for the next one, which may not come soon.
When we had our first baby, we were fortunate to find a wonderful nanny to care for her once I returned to work, until she was six months old, at which point she entered the infant room at a local preschool. We were also fortunate to land a spot in a quality preschool, since we were on more than 10 waitlists. There are pros and cons to both types of care but we personally have been very happy with the preschool route that we chose for our family.
Like us, if you find yourself planning to send your baby or toddler to preschool, these are the things that you’ll need to consider as you prepare for that first week and month.
How to Prepare for Daycare and Preschool
1. Supplies
There will generally be a supply list that is sent home with you at orientation, before the first day. Depending on your child’s age, these may include:
- Diapers, wipes and diaper cream
- Bottles and breast milk, or formula
- Bibs and burp cloths
- Lunchboxes and water cups
- Crib sheets or nap mats
- Sleep sacks and lovies, pacifiers
- Extra clothes, jacket
- Sunscreen and bug spray, hat
- Labels for personal items
- Tote bag or backpack
- Cooler and ice packs as needed for food and milk
2. Logistics
Some things you’ll have to consider is who will drop off and pick up your child? What are the hours of the facility and do they offer extended hours? Will one parent have to adjust their work schedule? Who are your emergency contacts that can be available to call to pick up your child if they are ill or injured (when the parent is not available)?
Make sure you have a copy of the school handbook and read it so that you may ask clarifying questions at the open house. Who will care for your child on sick days? There is a general rule that a child must be free of fever or contagious symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea, for 24 hours before returning. Make sure you are aware of other policies and procedures.
3. Planning and Schedules
Other factors to consider is how the flow of the day will change for your family once your little ones are in the care of a preschool or daycare facility. You’ll want to make a list mentally, verbally or in writing of all of the things that need to be done in the morning before you leave and when you get home, in order to prepare for the next day.
Some of these tasks would include bottle, lunch/snack and school/diaper bag prep, either the morning of, or the night before. There is also the weekly or monthly task of refilling diapers and wipes, as well as laundered back up clothes, bibs and sleep materials.
These things get easier, and less time consuming as the children get older but can be quite time consuming for infants in particular. I have found that it’s best to be prepared to mitigate as much stress as possible.
Sending our first baby to preschool was a big adjustment for our family. She’s older now and it’s a bit easier, but the daily school prep tasks are still quite time consuming at times. As we prepare to send our second baby, I feel more prepared this time. I hope this information will help you and your family feel more prepared if you find yourself in this new season of life.
