Adapting to the daily rhythm: the days at the daycare

You have a daycare spot! Now you have to go..
The first separation will be hard... then once the adaptation period is over, you might struggle to get used to the daycare schedule: What? Lunch at 11:00? And snack time at 2:15? But it's not at all like at home!
But you will realize quickly that the daycare's schedule will become your child's routine. He will get used to spending his days in a group setting and be involved in various activities.

Starting daycare: a new life!

Even more so than with a nanny, adaptation is essential, because the child has to get used to a new place, new people (many!), new sounds, new smells ... and the absence of his parents!

At about eight months it's most difficult time to put a child into daycare because of the separation around the time when babies start "making strange".

During the adaptation, you will explain your child's habits to the daycare staff, and you will learn how things work at the daycare.

The separation takes place gradually, over 5 to 10 days in general:
The first day you stay with the child, the second you leave for just a half hour, one hour on the third day, and your child will nap there, the fourth day he will eat lunch there.. 

Mommy blogger Lauro O'Rourke from Mommy Miracles attests to the difficulty of this first separation and the guilt that often comes with it in her post here. You'll get there with time, hang in there!

 Your child's day

At the daycare, there is a rhythm to follow. At first the children sleep and eat on demand, but soon meals and nap schedules are set to match with the other children.

The morning
When you drop your child in the morning, you let the staff know how he slept, his mood, or any other relevant information.
Then there are activities he can choose to do (crafts, outdoor games, dance, songs, stories, etc) but he is not forced to do anything.

Meals
Very soon your child will learn to eat alone.
Initially, it is you who will decide his meals: his milk, the number of bottles, baby food, and so on. The daycare won't attempt to give him food you haven't tried at home!
Older children will eat just like their friends.

Naps
In a dormitory, one might occasionally be woken by a friend but children get used to other sounds. To make nap-time easier, bring in addition to a blanket from home or his favourite teddybear. 

And potty-training?
It is possible that the daycare staff offers some potty-training, but it is you who will do most of the work. In a group care setting, it's difficult to spend the necessary time with each child for him or her to become fully toilet trained.

The evening
When you come to pick him up, you'll hear about his day. You will hear about what he ate, if he was colicky, ... Don't hesitate to ask the question you're dying to know: "But otherwise, he was happy? He had fun?" 

A recent study found that most parents don't really know what happens all day at the day care. Montreal Mom recommends visiting the day care and finding out about security measures, the ratio of workers to children and so on. You can hear her interview on CBC's Homerun here.