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Whenever you start a new adventure you are bound to be pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised. With the start of daycare, you will experience the same surprises.
You may have a general idea of how things will go and what to expect.
Let’s take a look at what you may find surprising about your child starting daycare.
Labeling Food & Drinks
It makes sense to label food and drinks with your child’s name, especially if they are young enough that they are still not verbal.
Childcare providers need to know what food and which drinks or bottles belong to each child.
What we didn’t expect was the expectation to label them each day with the date. This is an extra step in our meal prep routine.
We don’t mind doing it of course but just didn’t expect this.
Multiple Cups
Along with the food and drinks, we did not realize our child would need so many cups. Before we started at the daycare I figured she would likely go with two cups. Once the first was gone the second would be a backup.
This was not the reality. For every meal or snack, we are expected to pack a separate cup. Our daughter is at daycare for two snacks and lunch so we need three cups.
This is not a problem. We can live with this.
I also would better understand this if we were doing bottles or milk cups. We only do water cups.
So just a heads up you may need more cups than you realize!
Throwing Out Uneaten Foods
All food that goes uneaten gets thrown out. We pack a lunch daily. Snack food is provided by the daycare.
I didn’t realize this was a policy until the first week of daycare.
Of course, it is for safety and sanitation purposes.
The only trouble with it is you don’t know how much food you and which parts of the meal your baby ate. Our daycare does its best to document exactly what our child eats and include it in their daily activity log.
This is also an opportunity to have a personable relationship with childcare providers. Ask their opinion. Do you need to pack more or less food for your child? Do they seem satisfied at the end of their meal or are they begging for food from one of their peers?
I also hate to waste food so I try not to overpack. One way I combat this is by packing a cold lunch all in a container for the day. Then I keep a nonperishable item like crackers or a granola bar in the diaper bag as a backup option.
This way if they feel my child needs more food it is available.
Sickness
I knew when we started daycare our child would get sick. I strongly recommend you have a few days of vacation time available or alternative child care. Your little one will get sick!
However, I was surprised the second time they got sick.
So we started daycare and around week two they got sick. We battled through and got them back to daycare. Then around week 4 we went on a week-long vacation and pulled them out of daycare. Upon our return to daycare, they got sick again.
This sickness was unexpected.
Going forward I would warn any parent to expect sickness after any break you take from daycare.
Shoes on All Day
Depending on your daycare situation you may or may not encounter any of these unexpected things. For example, an in-home daycare is likely going to allow your child to be in their socks during the day. A daycare facility similar to the one we use will expect your child, once they are walking, to be in shoes throughout the day.
This was something we didn’t think about until it was time to send her. It gave us a bit of sadness in that her daycare didn’t have that homey feeling. Shoes on all day felt somewhat institutional and cold.
Outside Time
You may or may not be surprised by the amount of outside your child will get at daycare. This is something to know upfront.
They may get more or less than you expected. Also, keep in mind this can vary based on age ranges.
Personable Staff
This is by far the most positive surprise we encountered with the start of daycare.
The staff knew our daughter’s name from the first week. My husband or I would walk her in or out for pick up and drop off and members of the staff would say hello and greet our daughter by name.
When I say this I do not just mean her two teachers that are always in the room. I mean teachers from other classrooms, cleaning staff, check-in desk, and teachers that are floaters and help out where needed.
This was simply heartwarming. They knew exactly who that child was even though they had only recently started daycare.
One of my biggest fears was that my daughter would just be a number. She would just be part of the class and heard of children. This was especially worrisome in that our daughter has food allergies and is not old enough to talk.
Allergies bring fear. Staff knowing exactly who she was gave me comfort.
I did not expect his level of personability in a facility with the number of children they care for.
Crafts
Our daughter can barely hold a crayon, yet the teachers will occasionally do a craft with the children.
We were genuinely surprised that they bothered with crafts in her age bracket.
They often do a craft related to a holiday or upcoming season. My husband and I both received special crafts for Mother’s and Father’s Day.
We realize with growth there will be more crafts and projects to come.
Other Parents
We have been surprised at both pick-up and drop-off with other parents. My husband and I are not sure if we are weirdos or something, but we like to check in with the teachers and take our time.
We have noticed how quickly other parents get in and out of there.
Hopefully, we are not too bothersome to our daughter’s teachers. We just like to check in. We say our good mornings or wish them a good weekend.
We want to have a relationship and stay in good standing with those who are spending the majority of the day with our child.
Some parents don’t seem to give the staff a moment’s glance.
Accommodating
As I mentioned before our daughter has allergies. Specifically to dairy and eggs. Our daycare is responsible for providing snacks in the morning and afternoon. When she started daycare they started providing snacks that are safe for her.
I honestly thought I would have to provide her snacks due to her dietary restrictions.
How quickly they moved towards accommodating her need was a happy surprise.
Conclusion
Some things about your daycare will surprise you. The best thing you can do is research before you commit. Know exactly what you are walking into. Ask questions during your tour or interview.
Another important thing is to be flexible and keep open lines of communication.
You want the best daycare experience possible for your child.
Check Out My Articles
Creative Ways to Generate Income and Save Money While Being a Stay-at-Home Mom
Fear, Future, and Failure that Come with Your Child’s Food Allergies
The Top 7 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Daycare for Your Child
Why Do Dad’s get so Much Credit for Helping Out with Their Children?
