InchBug convenient bottle labels 

Special InchBug coupon code below for 15% off

Once you’ve set your daycare schedule, there are some steps you can take to prepare your baby for daycare, and make the transition easier. This is important as you help your baby develop independence and patience, while gaining your trust- and to help you get ready to go back to work. If you’re feeling anxious thinking about taking your little one to daycare for the very first time, rest assured you are not alone. In fact, this examiner cried the first time she dropped her baby off at daycare. It’s hard knowing that you’ll be away while you’re entrusting a perfect stranger with your pride and joy. It’s even harder trying to accept the fact that each daycare provider has to keep her eyes on more than one little baby…

1. Be understanding of the daycare setting. At home your baby is the center of your universe. It’s a whole new ballgame at daycare. The reality of group care is that there are multiple children with competing demands, and those demands must be prioritized by their caregiver throughout the day. Rest assured, no child’s cries will go unanswered at daycare, but be realistic about your expectations, and prepare your baby for this adjustment as best as you can.

2. Allow them to feel comfortable sleeping alone. Help them learn to sleep even when the room isn’t completely quiet or dark. That’s not the kind of environment you’ll find at daycare. It will make the transition easier if your baby can fall asleep to noise, and if he doesn’t mind napping in daylight.

3. Bring adequate supplies to daycare. That means plenty of bottles, cereal and solid food as needed. Also: diapers, wipes, diaper creams and medications (any medicine will require written permission from the parent, and in some cases a doctor’s note.) Bring a few changes of clothes (incase there’s a messy diaper.) Don’t worry about having somewhere to place all of this. Most daycares will provide cubbyholes where you can leave a diaper bag or plastic container stocked with back-ups.

4. Identification and dating supplies helps everyone. Since it all looks alike, make sure you label your supplies, especially bottles and food. There is a clever company called InchBug that creates personalized labels you can put on your bottles. You might have seen them on TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8. The colorful labels are a great way to prevent bottle mix-ups! They’re reusable, dishwasher safe and very durable. They go from bottle to sippy cup to water bottle.

5. Visit the facility in advance. Get to know who will be watching your baby while you’re at work. This will help you to build a relationship with the caregiver. If any facility is not open to your proposed visits, find another one that is. Once you’ve picked a daycare, visit during the hours you plan on leaving your child. This way, you will get a feeling of what it will be like after you drop him off.

6. Keep in touch. Create a partnership with your caregiver. The time you spend building this important bond is time well spent. Nothing makes the transition to daycare painless for parents. Feel free to call the daycare whenever you need to check in on your little one. They are used to getting calls from new parents, and will reassure you that your child is safe when you’re not there.

For more on preparing for the daycare transition read Part 1 in the Child care 101 series.

Special deal for Examiner readers:

For a limited time, InchBug is offering a 15% discount for all Examiner.com readers. There’s no minimum purchase necessary. Just enter: Examiner when you shop online. But hurry, this coupon code expires August 31^st!