Blog

Every parent’s greatest wish is that their child is spending their days somewhere they are happy, secure, and engaged. While there can sometimes be guilt associated with starting your child at childcare, it can be a great practice to sit back and appreciate that your child is actually flourishing in the childcare environment. Here are five signs that your child is loving their childcare experience.

1. They’re building relationships

As humans, connections are absolutely key to our well-being and our children are no different. One of the most encouraging signs that your child is settled and happy at childcare is that they are developing real connections and bonds with other people at care, whether it be educators, peers, or both. If your child comes home talking about a friend they played with or a funny conversation they shared with an educator, this is a great sign they are building strong connections. If your child isn’t yet verbal, notice how they light up when a particular educator plays with them or the way they babble and interact with the other children at care.

2. They’re learning

Children learn best when they feel safe and secure, so if you’re noticing your child is picking up new skills, abilities, or information from childcare, you can be fairly confident they feel safe and comfortable in this environment. You may notice your child humming a new song, repeating phrases or information that their educators have told them, or even demonstrating new skills like clapping, hopping, or waving. These are all great indications your child is learning and developing well at childcare.

3. They’re happy to linger once you arrive

Most children are very happy to see their parents after a day apart, and this is perfectly normal. However, a great sign that they are also very secure at childcare is that they want to invite their parent in to show them what they’ve been doing or to wait while they finish off the activity they are engaged in. In fact, we’ve found some children have such a great time in care it can sometimes be difficult to pry them away from the great play they’re enjoying once their parents arrive.

4. Looking forward to things

While drop-offs can often be challenging and many children will have trouble separating from their parents even if they are happy in their childcare environment, one thing to look out for is your child’s excitement about certain activities or experiences they may be having at childcare. Your child may talk excitedly about the cooking lesson they’ll be doing later that week, or express that they can’t wait to play with a particular friend. Even if your child shows resistance to attending on a particular day, speaking positively about the childcare experiences they’re looking forward to is a key sign they are overall happy and settled at care.

5. They integrate childcare experiences into their play at home

Children process everything through play and you can learn a lot about their inner world by noticing how they play. A great sign that your child is settling well into care is if they integrate elements of their childcare experience into their play at home. This could look like playing “teacher” with their toys and reading them a story, singing the childcare rhyme about hand-washing after they go to the toilet, or recreating activities they have experienced at childcare. Including childcare experience in their play means that your child is likely comfortable and happy and is integrating the experience of attending care into their day-to-day life.

While starting childcare can be a daunting experience for parents and children, most children settle beautifully and grow to truly love their childcare days. At Heritage House, we know how to help children flourish at care and get the best out of their childcare experience. Contact us today to discuss enrolling your child in one of our centres.