Going to child care is a big event in your little one’s life, and although there's fun to be had and lots to learn, those hours at care can take their toll when pick-up rolls around.
Your child might feel tired after all the action, or out-of-sorts because they haven't seen you since drop-off, so it's important that you take the time to reconnect and nurture your parent-child relationship once you're together again.
To do this, Starting Blocks recommends that you give your child your undivided attention after you collect them from their child care centre, and because they may be grumpy after all those hours, they advise you to, 'Shower them with all the love you can.'
As well as providing comfort and cuddles, you can also reconnect by having a meaningful conversation with your child.
To encourage sharing, bonding and communication, the experts suggest that you:
- Ask what your child's favourite activity was during the day
- Talk about the friends they've made, asking them to name some children who you know they are friends with, or play with, at care
- Discuss their favourite educator and ask what they like about them
- Ask how their lunch was and who they sat next to when eating it
- Talk about that day's storytime, asking what book was read and what they liked about it
- Ask if your child learnt anything new that day and what it was
- Start a conversation using photos or notes from your child's educators or service, e.g. you might show them a photo on the service's digital platform and say, 'Look at this nice photo of you finger-painting. What did the paint feel like?' or 'What was your favourite paint colour?'
- Mention some items that your child would have seen or played with at care to help them remember things they did, e.g. you could say, 'I saw lots of colourful play dough this morning. What did you and Jessica make with it?'
At the end of the day, these conversation-starters will help you reconnect with your child, hone their communication skills, and also provide you with insights about the ups and downs in your little one's life.
For Jenny Cook, this kind of family re-grouping is an essential part of each day. Ms Cook is a working mum with two boys in child care, and she says that, 'Once everyone is home, we go around the family and ask, 'What was your favourite thing about today and what was something that wasn't so good?’ This way, my husband and I find out about little challenges or if someone was a bit mean or if something didn't work out so well. This helps us understand our kids' experiences better and means we can provide support as needed.'
All in all, it's vital that children and parents feel connected – especially after numerous hours apart.
Giving your child quality time and meaningful attention after pick-up is beneficial for the whole family, and you'll learn a few things along the way (like how to make Jessica's special play dough cookies!)
Reference
Starting Blocks
