First day of daycare on Monday

We have been on lists for daycares and a spot finally opened up for our son to go one day a week. The big first day is Monday and I’m having major anxiety!! Because it was such a rush to get him registered I feel so unprepared for what to expect. I was just wondering if anyone could share their experience with their first day at daycare. did you do a ‘transition week’ where you attended the daycare with them for a few hours a day? Did you bring them for the full day, half day, a couple hours? Did you do lots to prepare for the first day (like sleep schedule changes)? It’s all hitting me and anxiety is through the roof! Would really appreciate your tips, tricks and experiences 💕 thanks!

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Hi Kayla, how old is your baby. My daughter started daycare when she was 14 months. But we enrolled in full time daycare. Actually principal told us that it’s harder for babies to adjust in part time than in full time. Cuz babies like routine, so with full time it’s same teachers, kids and things around every day. First day I was 1 hour with my daughter. Second day I left her for 3 hours. Third day she was supposed to stay for a nap, but they couldn’t calm her down and asked us to pick her up. I would say it took her about two weeks to get used to be there. Now she cries only when I drop her off, but within few minutes she calms down and starts playing. My friend was allowed to stay with her baby for 3 hours for whole first week. But that was different daycare

He’ll be 15 months this week. I was worried about it being hard on him for the one day for now but it’s all we could get it seems with every waitlist so long. The daycare has offered a week of ‘transition’ where I am there 3 or 4 of the 5 days of the week and was trying to think if it’s worth trying to coordinate with work. The nap is one of the things I’m most worried about but I guess I will just have to wait and see.

My daughter is also enrolled full time and she only did a half day on the first day (I didn’t stay with her) and then she did full days from there - the daycare recommended doing it that way but I had wanted a slower transition. The first full day she didn’t nap, but after that she had no problem napping. She refused food for a couple of days but then started eating really well, better than she eats at home. I expected her daycare start to go horribly because she’s a very clingy baby towards me and she has only slept in her own familiar room/crib, but I am amazed at how well she did, my anxiety was awful too. She still cries at drop off but enjoys her day once she calms down, and I’ve noticed her learning so much from it too. It will be tough at first, but it does get better and hopefully sooner than you think!

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