Changing Daycare Centers - What Will Make It Easier?

I.!!! How wonderful---- ( that you get to cut up to TWO HOURS off your commute. Every time you are tempted to feel guilty/ or worry about the change- I want you to focus on two hours a day of time w/ your little lamb--- time to sing, and cook together and walk and nap and play--- this is an incredible benefit for HER as well as for you.

She will feel 80% of what you feel- so if you allow yourself to focus on worry and distress - she will have a hard time. If, on the other time you say to her ''''Sweetheart!!!! You get to come and play at MOMMYS play-place ( which is what I called day-care --) --- ''''
I get to come and have lunch with you sometimes AND we will have SO much more time to play at HOME!!!!!!! ---Let's go see MOMMYs play place''''' --- Will she miss the old place?? -- some- but not NEARLY as much as you might imagine- it's all in how you present it. This is an incredible gift to her-- let her hear you and other people chatting among yourselves about how thrilled you are ( and NOT about how worried you are--- people sometimes forget that toddlers are NOT deaf--- they hear you - and soak up understandings and misunderstandings quicker than you can say ''''oops'''' -- .

Blessings,
Old Mom aka-- J.

This is going to be hard if you make it hard. It will be a change but if you plan a transition there shouldn't be too much difficulty. Kids are resiliant. At 19 mos her memory of specific children will be short. Also a baby doesn't have a knowledge of past changes to feed into her emotional response. It's we adults who have large emotions surrounding change.

When my granddaughter left preschool for kindergarten, the day care staff began talking about the move a couple of weeks before it was to happen. This made the change close to a seamless event.

You can have her visit ahead of time and tell her this will soon be the place she goes while Mommy works. Show her the toys and introduce her to a couple of babies near her age or who are "little mothers" and will help her get acquanted. Have the caretaker(s) interact with her. Do not make it a big deal or a prolonged visit. The purpose is to let her know ahead of time that she will be going there. It's my guess that by the time she makes the move it will not be much of an emotional change.

If she is anxious or does cry, calmly reasssure her then divert her attention to something she enjoys. She will be alright!

Sooooo 100% agree with Judy & Marda. No need to say another word. Just reread theirs.

:)

You'll be fantastic.