Start Preparing Your Toddler Before the First Day

Convenience and Accessibility

A few days before your toddler starts Family Child Care, begin talking about the new routine in simple, positive language. Explain that they will have a safe place to play, eat, learn, rest, and spend time with caring adults and other children.

For families starting at Rosy’s Care Daycare in Worcester, MA, this preparation can be especially helpful for toddlers ages 12–24 months who may be experiencing a regular child care routine for the first time. Keep explanations short, positive, and reassuring, and repeat them as the first day gets closer.

Practice the New Routine at Home

In the days before starting child care, begin practicing parts of the new routine at home. Try to keep wake-up times, getting dressed, meals, naps, and leaving the house as predictable as possible. A familiar routine can make the transition to a new environment feel less overwhelming for a toddler.

You can also practice short separations with a trusted adult and use simple phrases such as “I’ll be back after daycare.” For toddlers, repetition and consistency can help them gradually understand that saying goodbye is temporary and that their parent will return.

Help Your Toddler Feel Familiar With the New Environment

Before the first day, talk with your toddler about what they may experience at child care. Use simple words to describe playing, eating meals, resting, learning, and spending time with other children.

If possible, visiting the child care environment before enrollment can also help make the setting feel more familiar. Seeing the play areas, meeting the provider, and experiencing the environment with a parent nearby can make the transition easier when the first full day arrives.

Bring Familiar Comfort Without Creating Dependence

A familiar item can sometimes help a toddler feel more secure during a new transition. Depending on the child care program’s policies, this might be a small comfort item used during rest time or another familiar object that helps the child settle into the new routine.

Parents should also avoid making the goodbye process too long. A calm, loving, and consistent goodbye can help toddlers gradually understand the routine. Repeatedly leaving and returning or extending the goodbye may make separation more confusing for some young children.

Keep Goodbyes Calm, Short, and Consistent

Separation can be emotional for both toddlers and parents, especially during the first few days of child care. Try to create a simple goodbye routine that your child can begin to recognize, such as a hug, a reassuring phrase, and a clear goodbye.

Toddlers often take cues from the adults around them. Even when saying goodbye feels difficult, a calm and confident departure can help communicate that the child is entering a safe and familiar routine. Adjustment takes time, and every child responds differently.

Communicate With Your Child Care Provider

Share important information with your child care provider before the first day, including your toddler’s usual meal schedule, nap routine, comfort strategies, communication style, preferences, and anything that may help the provider understand your child.

At Rosy’s Care Daycare, communication with families is an important part of providing consistent care. Our licensed Family Child Care program in Worcester, MA serves children ages 12 months to 4 years, with a special focus on toddlers ages 12–24 months. Families can communicate with us in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.