A good daycare teacher strives to create a safe and supportive learning environment for their class. They care about the physical and emotional wellbeing of each student in their class. This type of teacher also understands the importance of having a collaborative relationship with the parents. After almost a ten year career in childcare these are some of my observations, as well as, the observations of twenty amazing teachers I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
What Parents Need To Keep In Mind When Socializing Their Child
Your Child Is Not The Only Child In The Classroom
This sounds very harsh and cold, but it’s not meant in that way. It’s just to put some things in perspective when you are putting your child in a group setting. Your child’s class could be anywhere from ten to thirty children depending on the age group. A good teacher will be happy to oblige special requests, but please be reasonable.
Illness And Injuries Happen
A fair description of a two year-old class would be a group of twenty individuals with no impulse control, or rational thought, and very basic communication skills. This is why preschool teachers are so amazing. They are trained to handle this kind of chaos, but for all their training and vigilance, injuries still happen. The daycare will let you know of anything that happened during the day.
A teacher can keep the classroom as clean as possible, but there is always a chance a child can get sick. Keep in mind your child will be around many other children. This is also a good time to mention, don’t bring your child to daycare sick. Please don’t give them Tylenol to mask their fever. Your child is still contagious. You wouldn’t appreciate another parent doing that, so please have the same curtesy.
Change In Behavior
Your child will need time to adjust to daycare. They may act differently at daycare than they would at home. It is also possible your child might pick up certain behaviors from other children. While it is not always ideal, this is normal, and a good teacher is already working on redirecting the behavior.
Parents Need To Bring Their Child Prepared For The Day
Clean Diaper and Recently Fed
I can not express the importance of this enough. Please bring your child into daycare in a clean diaper and already had their first bottle. I know it’s easy and tempting to just let your baby sleep until you have to leave, but see it from the morning teacher’s perspective. Imagine you’re an infant teacher at 7am. You are trying to bottle feed two babies, while bouncing another child who’s screaming, because they’re hungry, and then you have a parent bring in their baby, mention that the baby is pooped, and then just looks at you expectantly. These are true events. You expect your child to be sent home clean and fed, so please do the same for their teacher.
Respect Scheduled Mealtimes
Please take note of when scheduled mealtimes are, and plan accordingly. If your child is arriving after breakfast, you need to make sure they are fed. Do not expect the teachers to have leftovers. Daycare kitchens don’t work that way. After mealtime, things are cleaned up, put/thrown away, and the cook has already moved on to other daily tasks.
Keep Your Child Supplied
Most teachers will try to mention when your child is low on anything, but ultimately it’s the parents’ responsibility. Try to check your child’s supplies every couple of days. If it is one of those rough patches where things will have to wait until pay day, just be open with them. Good daycares care and are willing to work with families. Just please don’t ignore teachers requests for what your child needs. It’s difficult when a child hasn’t had diapers for several days, or having a child spend the rest of their day in a large T-shirt, because they don’t have spare clothes. Also keep in mind, with diapers, wipes, and spare clothes, it’s better to have too much, than not enough.
How Daycare Parents Can Be Involved
Communicate With Your Child’s Teacher
Please share anything that you think the teacher may need to know. Think of this as a partnership. The best way I’ve ever heard this relationship described, “We want to be a part of your tribe.” Our job is to be there for your child in your absence.
Keep Drop Off Short And Sweet
We all understand that it is difficult to leave your child, especially if they don’t want you to go, but the longer you stay, the harder it is. Don’t linger around the door, they know you’re still there. The sooner you leave, the faster your child will find something to distract them. You can always call during the day to check on them, but keep drop off short and sweet. Also keep in mind not to end the morning on a sour note. This is how your child’s day will start. If it’s been a rough morning, take a little time to say good-bye in a positive way.
Make Time For Pick-Up
Depending on how late you pick your child up, you may not see their regular teacher, but always make time for pick up. Drop off was your time to communicate with the teacher, and pick up is the teacher’s time to communicate with you. Take the time to hear about what happened that day. Just like you, your child’s teacher really enjoys seeing your child grow and progress, and is excited to share that with you.
Good daycare teachers work hard to create a safe and supportive learning environment for your child, and never accept anything less, but keep in mind what you can do to help.
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1 thought on “Attention Daycare Parents!! Things Your Child’s Teacher Wants You To Keep In Mind”
This is a great list.
Our first nursery key worker told me it’s better to just leave quickly as our little one becomes more settled. This always stuck with me.