tips to ease the stress of daycare pick-ups

​At our childcare programs, the kids are constantly learning, growing, and having tons of fun! It is no surprise that even when Mom and Dad arrive for pick-up, the children are reluctant to leave! In this blog, we will be discussing some tips for smoothing over the stressful time of picking up your child from daycare!
Tips for pick-up:

1. Giving your child a chance to finish what they are doing/working on (within reason). A child may have been working on a skill all day, and it was just finally coming to fruition, and that excitement may need just a few more minutes before heading home.
2. Allow them a chance to say goodbye to their friends. Many of your child’s friends may be considered part of their primary social group. A primary social group, especially for young children, is the people closest to them. This includes parents, siblings, and your closest friends which is probably the ones your growing up with and the few people you see on a consistent basis. Giving them a chance to say, “Good Bye!” closes the chapter on that day and initiates a beginning for the next day!
3. Have a consistent pick-up routine. A lap around the classroom checking out learning centers, draw a picture, collect art-work from the day, etc. keep it short and simple, and your child will know that when those things are done, it is time to go home.
4. Communicate to your child the activities that need to be done at home! For example, “We need to go home to see daddy!” Usually their eyes brighten up and they get giddy with excitement and anticipation.
5. Lastly, do something when you get home each day discussing what happened at daycare for the day. If you do this consistently, the child can anticipate this conversation every day and want to go home so they can tell you all about their day!

These are just a few tips to ease the pick-up process, and hopefully can help end the day on a positive note.