Child Care Center of FPC Asheville

Infant Room Introduction and Tips for New Daycare Families

 We know that childcare is a big transition for you and your child.  It may take some time for your baby to adjust to the new sights, sounds, people and routines that they will experience at school.  Take a deep breath.   The infant teachers are here to work with you so that your child can make the smoothest transition possible into our classroom.  With that in mind, here are some tips that, in our experience, will help this process along by providing consistency for your baby.

Please consider using the following strategies at home:

Sleeping:

• If your child falls asleep in your arms, in a swing, or in a bouncy seat, please transfer them to their crib.  Center policy does not allow children to sleep in swings or seats.

• During daytime naps leave the child’s door ajar or a radio playing in their room.  Also consider leaving their light on.  This allows your child to adjust to the level of activity in our classroom and to sleep more comfortably at school.

• Please do not prop your child up on a boppy or other pillow while sleeping; unless your child has a note signed by a doctor, we cannot allow them to sleep on any kind of pillow at the center.

• Because we use SIDS guidelines, we cannot allow children to sleep on their stomachs until they can consistently roll from back to stomach and from stomach to back.  Please place your child on their back to sleep.

 Feeding:

• At least one week prior to the first day of school, please make an effort to have other people feed your child as often as possible.  This helps your baby adjust to the new caregivers they will meet at school.

• A special note for breastfeeding mothers: At least one week prior to the first day of school, please attempt to feed your child using a bottle as often as possible.  This will help your child become accustomed to bottle feeding before the distractions and novelty of the first day of school.  Beginning to feed breast milk through a bottle will also answer several questions that help caregivers:
  • How many ounces will your child eat at each feeding?
  • What kind of bottle does your child prefer?
  • What flow of nipple does your child prefer?

If you are concerned about your milk production, please consider beforehand what kind of formula you might consider using in order to supplement for school.  We may not need this, but we often find that children eat more at school due to higher levels of stimulation.

 Playtime:

Play is a driving force behind an infant’s development.  We encourage several kinds of play at school, but our efforts will be even more effective if your child is encouraged to play in these ways at home as well.

• Lay your child on their back and interact with them in various ways; gently stretch their arms and legs, shake a rattle, or show them a mirror.
• Lay your child on their tummy and try the above listed movements and interactions