How to keep everyone calm transitioning as a group?

[Dreamtree]

Hello!

I opened my daycare in June and have been doing transition care over the summer to get the children used to me before they start their regular hours in the fall. Right now each child comes in on their transition days for one-to-one care. Does anyone have any strategies for when they all come in together in the fall?

I currently have 3 girls they will all be 12 months in the fall (September/October)

What has been you experiences and learned techniques with new children, or all new children? As we all know they tend to follow each others cues-so one crying child mean 3 crying children...

Thanks!

[Judy Trickett]

If you want calm the most important thing is routine, routine, routine and consistency in your behaviour management.

Kids who are NOT calm suffer from anxiety and a feeling of lack of control. If they ALWAYS know what's happening next (routine) they find a lot of security in that. Kids tell time by routine. They like routine because they can forecast with predictability exactly what will happen to them and when during the day.

And be very consistent with behaviour. Set the tone of only accepting respectfulness and that is what you will surely get.

[mom-in-alberta]

I would in all likelihood, just begin as you expect your normal day-to-day to go. Does that make sense? I guess, to put it another way, I would just jump into it. Set your expectations from day one, enforce whatever behaviour guidelines you have, and anticipate the need for a fair amount of patience in the beginning. As Judy said, having the same routine, schedule and rules from day one will make it easier for everyone. Given that they will all be used to you and your home, and kids that age just parallel play, it may not be as bad as you anticipate it to be!!

[playfelt]

Most of the days will take care of themselves in that it will be like starting over again for all of you since the presence of the others will through even the current routines you are establishing out the window not to mention nap times will all be different by Fall. Personally I would start to have them coming on the same days but half days. That will give you the best chance to work out a routine and a short time for the kids and then home for lunch and nap and then eventually work up to lunch first and then home. You need to see what they are like when they are all togehter. Also the one on one time you are giving them now may come back to haunt you and backfire in the sense of instead of getting them used to your daycare you have gotten them used to your undivided attention which is exactly what doesn't happen in group care.

Develop a basic plan that takes into account what you need to do in the day. Use large blocks of time and fill them in with things like diaper changes which can take half an hour if you are doing several, naptime, snack - again long if you are doing the feeding. As long as you have an idea of what you need to do next the timing isn't as important. Just watch for signs it is time to move on to the next phase such as rubbing eyes whether the schedule says naptime is then or an hour away. But really reconsider the one on one visits for too many weeks.