Talking with Your Child About Daycare
The first day of daycare can be a tumultuous one for parents and children alike. In order to make the transition a bit smoother, we recommend these tips:
- Prepare the child for time away from parents by leaving the child with a family member or known babysitter over several weeks, each time for a longer duration. This will help ease fears and anxieties regarding separation between the children and parents.
- Once you’ve narrowed down your daycare options, or have chosen a particular daycare, take the child on a tour of the facilities. Don’t rush your time there, and encourage your child to play and interact with other children and the staff. Feel free to interact along with the child, and pay attention to the activities the child is most interested in.
- Talk with your child about daycare – the things they’ll get to do, the people they’ll meet, the experiences they’ll have – age-appropriate, of course.
- Educate your child about the threats of abuse, whether from other children or from the daycare staff. Age-appropriate methods should be used; if the child hasn’t reached a solid vocabulary, act out different situations instead:
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- You have the right to say NO to anyone who asks you do something painful, embarrassing, or wrong.
- No one should touch you on the parts of the body covered by a bathing suit, nor should you touch anyone else in these private places.
- Don't be tricked if someone says to keep something a secret by threatening you or bribing you.
- Don't be alone with an adult in an isolated place, such as a bathroom or bedroom, if it makes you feel uncomfortable.
- If something happens that makes you feel weird or strange, you should always tell Mom and Dad (or another family member).
It’s important to talk with your child about what happened in their day, from their social interactions with other to the learning opportunities they had throughout the day. If the child isn’t particularly verbal, role-playing and acting out a situation may be more appropriate. These conversations will give parents an opportunity to see how comfortable a child is with adults and peers at daycare.
Regardless of where in Dallas or Fort Worth your child has been abused, you can count on the Rasansky Law Firm. Our Dallas daycare abuse lawyers promise every client three things: Respect, Resources, and Results. Contact us today and discover what it feels like to have experienced car wreck attorneys treat you like their most important client.