Pick-Up Time: Tips for Your Evening Childcare Routine
Here at Star Montessori, we work with children of all personalities and colorful habits. Pick-up time at the end of the day can go smooth as 1-2-3 out the door, or full of some tantrums. After you have a long day at work, the last thing you want as an exhausted parent is to fight a battle with your child who may want to play a little more. Your child is happy to see you, but sometimes they just show it differently. Other days they run to you and want nothing more but to hug you and tell you all about your day. How many of you have experienced these extremes of behaviors?
Our Star Montessori team wants to share some our favorite tips for making pick-up time and the evening routine go a little smoother.
Snacks: A universal tip that we have come across via word of mouth, mommies and daddy’s across the internet, and just from personal experience is to have a kid-friendly snack ready in the care for the drive home. This is ALWAYS a helpful way to distract them and get them to sit still.
Connect with Teachers: Take a few minutes to communicate with your child’s teachers and get a snap shot of what your child’s day was like. Teachers can give you a great idea of what their mood may be and any important updates. It is also always nice for teachers to be acknowledged in how much they care for your child!
Stuff First, Then Kid: Get all your child’s things together, then your child. Keeps things organized as well as having your hands free for more hugs.
Don’t Rush: Allow yourself to not be in a rush. If you’ve had a bad day, take a minute in the car to shake it off before entering the school. Your vibes directly affect your child’s too.
Stick to the Plan: If you have a plan, stick to it. If you want to let your child play for longer, let them. If you need to be somewhere, get going. Let your child know the plan, and snacks help too.
Time with Tantrums: Some children may be more apt to throwing tantrums when pick up time comes around. Some parents have tried allowing their child to finish whatever he is doing or playing and also allow him to say bye to his friends on his own time, within reason, and then again bribing him or her with food also helps.
Do you have other go-to tips and tricks for making pick-up time a little bit easier? Share them with our Star Montessori teachers and below! We love making the child care process smoother for all parties involved.
