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1. Treat me
like a friend. When your child sees that we have
a close relationship, she'll feel more comfortable. Ask how my
weekend was, for example. Take a picture of the 3 of us together,
and frame it at home.
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2.
Dress your child in play clothes.
Don't send him to day care in a good shirt and then get frustrated when
he gets paint smeared on it, says Andrea Horstmann, director of ABC's &
One Two Three's Preschool Learning center, in New Haven, Missouri.
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3.
Relax. We want your child to be happy-and we'll do
whatever we can to make her feel as if this is her second home. |
4.
Leave loveys home. Kids
don't want to share their blankies and favorite stuffed animals.
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5. Smile
when you say goodbye to your child. It's normal to have
mixed feelings about being apart from her all day, but don't let her
know that. If you look as if you're about to cry when you leave,
she'll have more trouble separating.
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6.
Keep an eye on the clock. If we
close at 5:30, don't arrive at 5:29 and linger for ten minutes. We
want to get home to our families too.
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7. Make the
rules at home consistent with the ones here. It'll
confuse your child if he's allowed to throw toys at home, for example,
but not at day care says Lesley Everhart, director of Academy Child
Development Center in North Potomac, Maryland. |
8.
Leave us little reminders of you.
When your child's feeling lonely, we can comfort her with a family photo
album, a tape-recorded message from you or a handkerchief with your
perfume on it in a plastic bag.
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9. Make
time for morning and afternoon transitions. If you're
late for work and rushing out the day-care door every morning, your
child will be stressed, says Linda Rix, president of the Afterschool
Club, in Grayslake Illinois. Take a few minutes to help him settle
in before you leave. ad if you're in a particular hurry one
afternoon, call ahead, and we'll have him ready when you arrive.
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10.
Tell us about changes in your child's life.
If you're separating from your spouse or there's an illness in the
family, or even if one parent is traveling, keep us in the loop, says
Amy Ligay-Plimpton, director of The Children's Space, in Duxbury,
Vermont. That way we'll understand any unusual behavior If
something big is going on at home, don't tell your child to keep it a
secret. She spends a lot of time here, and needs to feel she can
be honest.
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| 12. Your
child won't be happy all the time. He has bad moods and
bad days at home, and he'll have them here too. As long as he's
usually content, don't overreact to minor incidents. And if your
child seems grumpy one morning, don't drag out the goodbyes. Just
say. "I know you're having a tough, but I have to go to work. Your
teacher will take care of you." |
13.
Label everything you bring from home. We
cant always keep track of whose Sippy cup is whose.
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| 14. You
are your child's most important teacher. Don't get mad
at us if she's not using the potty yet or doesn't know how to tie her
shoes. You should be working on these things at home.
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15.
Don't ask us to bend rules. If your
child needs care at an unscheduled time, but we're full, don't ask us to
take him anyway. Centers often have unannounced inspections, and
can be shut down by the state for having too many children, Horstmann
says. |
| 16.
Pay on time. If your having
financial trouble and need to make special arrangements, let us know in
advance. We may be able to work with you.
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17. If
you're unhappy about something, talk to us. Don't just
complain to other parentes, says Barbara Plland, PH. D., author of No
Directions on the Package; Questions and answers for parents with
children From Birth to Age 12 and an advisor to child-care centers. |
| 18.
Follow our fever policy. Before
coming back to day care your child must have been fever-free, without
medication for at least 24 hours, Horstmann says. |
19. Read
the notes we send you. And if there's something to be
signed up for, like a trip or conference, don't wait until the last
minute.
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| 19.
Stay on top of supplies. Its not
fair to let your diapers run out and expect us to borrow from someone
else's stash. Also, keep track of whether the spare outfit you've
left for your child is still the right size and in season.
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20.
Say Thanks. We like being appreciated
for the things we do for your child, says Firoza Salahuddin, who
operates Care-A-Lot daycare in her North Potomac, Maryland, home.
We also love to hear the nice things that your child tells you about us.
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