Going back to work after maternity leave is a major life change for both you and your child. First Steps Day Care & Learning Center in Southbury, CT, understands that this is a stressful time for parents as well as their children, and is committed to making the transition to child care services as easy as possible. Here, they share three tips for a smooth transition to a day care center:

• Start Gradually: If possible, ease your child into his or her new daycare center gradually rather than immediately enrolling them full time. If you can start off by having them go for just a few hours each day in the first week or two, the transition will seem more natural and easy than going from having them at home all day to full-time day care all at once.
• Give Them A Comforting Item: Does your child have a favorite blanket or toy? If so, bring this with them to the child care services center, as familiar items can be soothing. For babies, packing something that smells like home, like an item of your clothing or a blanket, can provide comfort during this transitional time.
• Anticipate Tears: No parent wants to hear their child cry. But this is a normal part of the transition of enrolling your child in a daycare center or nursery school. Though all children are different and some adapt quicker than others, don’t be alarmed if your child cries during drop-off for the first few days or even weeks of their new daycare regimen—this is all part of the process.