How to Talk to Your Daycare About Your Baby's Schedule

Preparing for your little one to go to daycare can be overwhelming. In this post, we're sharing what questions to ask regarding day-to-day routine and what to do if your daycare is unable to follow your current schedule.

After your little one has arrived and you are heading back to work, there are many things to consider and prepare for. One of those is deciding on daycare. We’ve covered How to Choose a Daycare and Tips for Starting Daycare in the past and are excited to expand on how to talk about routines when interviewing and finding a daycare.

In our blog post How to Choose a Daycare, we recommend asking these 6 questions:

See the full post for more details and any additional questions to ask.

1. Are they state-certified?
2. What are their medical policies?
3. What is their teacher turnover rate?
4. What are the school and classroom schedules?
5. What is the transportation policy?
6. How will you receive updates about your child?

In addition to the above, we also recommend asking these questions related to routines and schedules:

• What is their routine and policy on feedings and naps?
• Are they willing to follow your current routine?
  • Bring a printable version (found in the MOC Scheduler App) of your most current routine for them to have on file and review in person.
• Will they allow you to bring a portable sound machine?
  • We recommend the LectroFan Alpha Travel Sound Machine.

We’ve found some daycares will be able to follow pretty closely to your routine as outlined, with minimal changes.

Here’s what to do if your daycare is unable to follow the routine:

1. Ask if they are willing to ensure that the late afternoon feeding is done each day.
2. Then, pick up the routine in the evenings and on the weekends.
   • Little ones learn the difference between home and daycare within about 2 weeks.
3. It is OKAY if they doze "off-schedule" on the way home.
4. Be sure to keep a few key things in place:
   • Family Dinner
   • Bathtime
   • Tender Time
   • Bedtime feed
5. If you find that your little one is not napping well at daycare, consider adjusting the bedtime routine about 15-30 minutes earlier.
6. If you have to leave earlier in the morning and need a more personalized routine, we recommend getting connected with a Certified Moms on Call Consultant to support you and help navigate this transition.

Remember, your daycare provider is on your team! Talk to them about what options are available and work together!

Need more support with back to school or starting daycare?

With each and every  Moms on Call   Consulting experience, we have one goal in mind— to equip you with the confidence you need to become the best parent possible for your child . We are proud to partner with certified consultants who are uniquely trained to work with families and utilize the Moms on Call philosophy. All consultants are licensed nurses with pediatric experience who have used Moms on Call within their own homes.