If you have children in daycare there’s nothing like walking in and finding out they will be transitioning to a new room. While on the one hand you are excited for your child and the new experiences they will have, on the other you know how much chaos ensues when you alter their routine. Each child is different and so is the room change – some don’t seem to impact them at all. We’ve had a mixture of the two and it’s varied even between my two girls.
Tips for dealing withe the change:
- TALK ABOUT IT: When they are really little it may seem silly to talk about the upcoming move but do it anyways. My youngest is 18 months and we’ve been talking about her move since we found out about it. I have no idea how much she understands but I believe when you start informing them of these things when they are little it helps establish good communication between the two of you as they grow older.
- LEARN THE SCHEDULE: While I would love to spend weekends following whatever schedule we want I have learned how much easier and more pleasant it is to stick with the schedule they follow during the week. It’s a downer for certain activities but honestly when we try to change up on the weekends it usually ends in tears – Mom included!
- INCREASE YOUR PATIENCE: It. Is. So. Much. CHANGE. It usually means a new room, new teachers, possibly new kids depending on where they fall age wise, it’s a lot! Try to give them a break if behavior changes, I find it to be a very emotional time with the kids being overtired from more stimulation and in some cases adjusting to napping in a new room.
We are going through a transition right now from the infant 2 room to the toddler 1 room and this week has been a struggle. I’m thankful my daycare eases them into the change, each child visits the new room for 3 hours for the first two days and then they increase an hour each day after before the full time move the following week. Hopefully my daughter realizes the perks of her new room by the end of the week and things start to get better. There’s been a lot of tears! Wish me luck! 🙂
What are your tips for dealing with big changes?
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