Brittany Harvey

Valencia Smith
English 101
October 2, 2014
Final Essay
The birth of a baby brings many !estions into "lay for ne# "arents$ One
thing may be certain for a #or%ing "arent o!tsi&e of the home, 'n&ing chil&care$
(ost mothers ta%e the re!ire& )*+ #ee%s from #or% after the birth of a baby$
Ho#ever ma%ing the transition from home to &aycare ta%es several ste"s$ ,n or&er
for infants to ma%e an easy transition into &aycare they m!st- slee" thro!gh lo!&
noise, have goo& fee&ing habits, calm themselves #hen nee&e&, an& %no# ho# to
interact #ith "eo"le o!tsi&e of their home$
.oo%ing for a &aycare can be &i/c!lt$ 0o!r best chance of 'n&ing e1ce"tional
chil&care is to start yo!r search before the baby arrives$ To!ring centers an& having
"ersonal intervie#s #ith sta2 gives yo! a clear o!tloo% on their &aily activities$ 0o!r
'rst time #al%ing into a &aycare an& e1"eriencing the amo!nt of noise may catch
yo! o2 g!ar&$ ,t is im"ortant to "re"are yo!r infant to 'n& comfort in that ty"e of
slee"ing environment$ 3!ring yo!r baby4s na" t!rn on the TV or even the ra&io, b!t
&o not allo# him5her to get comfortable #ith ta%ing silent na"s$ 0o! &on4t #ant to
"ic%*!" a cran%y baby from &aycare, &!e to slee" &e"rivation$
6ertain things abo!t yo!r ne# baby4s lifestyle are ty"ically &isc!sse& in
a&vance$ 7 ne# mom may #ant to try breastfee&ing, b!t that may not be the best
o"tion for a #or%ing mother #ith a f!ll sche&!le$ 8hen yo! thin% abo!t
breastfee&ing yo! have to consi&er time management$ ,f yo! %no# yo! &o not have
a 9ob #here there is s"are time for "!m"ing, then this might not be the best
sol!tion for yo!$ .abor la#s re!irement to allo# breastfee&ing moms to "!m"
every t#o ho!rs$ For those #hom 9obs are over#helming, there might be a lot of
misse& #or%$ (oms #ho insist on "rovi&ing the best !ality mil% sho!l& be min&f!l
that the baby #ill only #ant #hat they have been given$ 7t home #hen "re""ing a
breastfe& baby for &aycare try to balance n!rsing along #ith bottle fee&ing at
home, this #ay baby #ill be :e1ible an& have no iss!es at their ne# center$
7s a 'rst time "arent bringing baby home for me #as scary, b!t most of all
e1ha!sting$ , &on4t remember slee"ing over 1; min!tes at a time the 'rst month of
my &a!ghter4s life$ (y 'rst reaction as a ne# "arent #as to 9!m" right !" at every
s!&&en movement, cry, or #him"er$ This is ba& for a baby #ho #ill event!ally be in
&aycare$ 7s har& as it so!n&s yo! have to consi&er the &aycare4s environment,
#hich consists of 2*< teachers for every )*+ babies$ ,nfant &aycare "rovi&ers have
their han&s f!ll- every cry #ill not get a res"onse right a#ay$ 7ltho!gh yo! may
#ant to instantly react to every cry sometimes it is o% to allo# them to cry for 9!st a
little #hile$ 7llo#ing yo!r infant to cry teaches them to calm themselves &o#n #hen
yo! &o not res"on& right a#ay$ The baby &oes this in several #ays, incl!&ing 'nger
or th!mb s!c%ing$
The 'rst #ee% of &aycare for both yo! an& baby #ill most li%ely be ro!gh,
regar&less of #hat yo! &o at home$ 0o! #ill sit at #or% #orrying abo!t yo!r little
one, #hile he5she is at &aycare trying to 'g!re o!t their ne# s!rro!n&ings$ (oms
sho!l& not #orry too m!ch if they have learne& their &aycare "rovi&er #ell eno!gh
to tr!st they can &o their 9obs #ell$ The e1citement of a ne# baby in a family brings
many visitors to yo!r home- this is goo& as long as baby4s health isn4t at ris%$
Having "eo"le interact #ith yo!r baby %ee"s them comfortable #ith meeting ne#
"eo"le$ ,f yo!r baby gets too comfortable #ith only the "eo"le in yo!r ho!sehol&
he5she might be rel!ctant to interact #ith others$ 7ltho!gh overtime he5she #ill
'n& comfort in their &aycare "rovi&ers, they #ill change class &!e to age an&
&evelo"ment$ ,t4s im"ortant to %no# that in the case of an emergency or a change
in sta2 at the center yo!r baby can a&a"t to change$
=arents nee& to have a m!t!al !n&erstan&ing of these ne# changes an& ho#
they a2ect the ho!sehol&$ Fin&ing the right chil&care as a team ma%es both "arents
comfortable #ith the choice$ 3o not be afrai& to ma%e a little noise &!ring na"time$
.et &a& an& visitors ta%e a t!rn at fee&ing yo!r little one, an& ma%e s!re yo! "!m"
after every fee&ing$ 0o! &o not have to be so !ic% to "ic% !" yo!r baby for every
cry- ho#ever, yo! sho!l& &o so #hen they are h!ngry or #et$ ,f they are not crying
beca!se they are in nee& of something let them cry an& see #hat they &o from
there$ 7llo# family an& frien&s to sto" by thro!gho!t yo!r si1 #ee%s of maternity
leave, yo! #ill nee& the com"any after r!nning o!t of things to &o$ 7s a "arent, yo!
#ill #ant the transition from home to &aycare to be as smooth as "ossible$ , believe
that if "arents follo# these ste"s, it #ill hel" in &oing 9!st that$