Child development experts always talk about the child's transition into childcare. When you, the parent, are touring a center, the director may mention how difficult drop off's may be for the first 2-8 weeks (I aways gave that timeline when I was a director because some children don't attend full time which meant their transition may take longer than those children attending everyday). However, what about the parents' transition? That first day or first week of dropping off your child with complete strangers?!
When I went back to work after having my son, I went back as a new director at a new center and my son would be attending the school I would be directing. Prior to starting though, I decided to give him the opportunity to bond with his teachers, he started a week before I did. The day I dropped him off, I remember getting back in my car and bawling. I called my husband in tears! His response was "but you wanted this...". Yes, I did want to go back to work, having been at home for over a year, I was ready to get back into helping preschool teachers and parents, I was ready to get back into what I loved to do, professionally. But I was not prepared for the feeling I had when I had to drop my son off with people I didn't yet know.
That initial, gut wrenching feeling of "what have I done?!" slapped me in the face as I was walking out the door, hearing my toddler screaming for me. At that moment, I knew that the bonding I would create with parents would differ as director. I had always bonded with parents when I was a preschool teacher but as the school's director, I had a whole different type of responsibility. Not only was I now responsible for the teachers taking care of and teaching these children but I was also responsible for the children's parents as well. Ensuring that they felt comfortable dropping off their child and leaving them at my school was my number one priority.
Meeting that priority meant complete and open communication. When touring with families I made a point to engage, communicate and ask my own questions. I viewed this as a relationship, one that could span on for years if these families attended from when their children were infants. Such a relationship meant that questions were answered honestly and thoughtfully from both sides. It meant that parents knew when they had a concern that they could comfortably speak with me, they knew that I took their concerns to heart.
You won't always find that in a center director though so taking the time to create those relationships between you, the parent, and the center's director is truly an essential part of the parent's transition. Those initial drop offs, hearing your child crying, will never be easy. There is no denying that. But by ensuring that relationships is being built, getting to know the director a bit better, will definitely help make that drop off, for you the parent, a bit easier.