My toddler screams when I leave her at crèche. What can I do?

If you are leaving your child at day care or crèche for the first time, it’s very likely that he or she will scream, and cry, at least for the first few days.

If you’ve checked the crèche out, and are confident that the care is good, and that you are still making enough quality time to be with her or him, then it will probably work itself out over time. In fact, while you may worry about them all day, there’s a good chance that within a few minutes of your leaving, the tears have dried, and they’re happily playing with their friends.

It’s perfectly normal, if you are leaving your child at a day care facility for the first time that he or she is anxious. They may be worried that you are leaving them there for good! It can take time for him or her to understand that while mummy has to leave them with the caregivers during the day, you will always return.

Start by spending the day at the crèche with your child. Then graduate to leaving for a half an hour to an hour, and later for longer stretches. As soon as your child realises that you are always going to come back, and as long as he or she is getting quality care, things should soon come right.