DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU.
Preparing for daycare is a process. Emotionally and physically. Between collecting everything you need and making sure your little one is ready.
I have seen both side of the daycare life. Both working at a daycare and sending my own child to daycare.
Having that knowledge has helped me compile some helpful insight into everything that is essential for daycare.
Within this blog post you will learn what you need to bring the first day of daycare and tips for making daycare life easier.
Items needed:
Backpack or bag-
If your little one isn’t old enough for homework you will still have lots of supplies to carry. Make sure it's big enough to carry bottles, diapers, etc. This is the one I use! It has an adorable print and you can personalize it with your child's name.
Diapers and wipes-
Make sure to supply your child's daycare with enough diapers and wipes!
Crib Mattress Covers-
These are needed weather for a crib mattress or toddler cot. I bought 5 of the same ones, one for each day of the week.
Bibs-
Again, I bought 5. One for each day of the week. This helps eliminate the amount of laundry and just do one quick load at the end of the week so everything is ready for Monday.
Sippy cup-
Find one that has a top to avoid extra germs.
Comfort Item-
Binky or blanket. Depending on what your specific daycare allows.
Extra clothes-
See my tip below on what to pack. Make sure you have 2-3 full outfits.
Tips:
Space saver-
Pack clean items (extra clothes, mattress covers, bibs) in big zip lock bags or clear zip pouch. This will help keep everything clean and organized. I use something like this so it makes everything more compact and saves space.
Labeling-
Label everything. Everything. Even the bottle caps. Teachers and staff have many kiddos to take care of and sometimes things get places in the wrong bags. By having everything labeled it will make its way back to you.
To avoid ruining clothing or expensive items with a sharpie to label. I used various labeling methods.
For cloth materials (clothing, bibs, crib covers, etc) I used these super cute iron on sticker labels. I really liked these because they were easy to use and I only needed my flat iron to iron them on. They stick really well and haven't come of yet, even with multiple washes! All you have to do is personalize it~ Choose the icon (dinosaur, unicorn, cupcake, etc) and add a name!
Bottle labels-
One of the most important items to label are your baby's bottles! I found these awesome rubber labels that have everything you need to write on them (date, name, contents). They fit any bottle which makes them unique and anyone can use them. The best part is that they are re-usable!!!! They come with an expo marker and it washes right off for the next use.
Packing bag night before-
This is a no brainer and it will save you time in the morning and making sure you get to work on time.
Keep the same morning routine-
Having a routine will help your child know what to expect to avoid meltdowns.
Get up at the same time.
Get dressed.
Have breakfast.
Out the door to school.
Extra clothes:
Accidents happen and diapers leak. I had such a hard time picking which clothes to pack as extra clothes because I didn't want to waste a cute outfit that was going to sit in a cubby for weeks on end. An awesome tip I want to share is to pack those random holiday clothes. Yes, Thanksgiving has passed but that turkey outfit can get a second use! My son currently has Merry Christmas shirts in his cubby.
Hopefully these tips will help you prepare for daycare and make the transition easier for all.