So what if I’m late for daycare?
Think of when you were little and arrived at school late…there were pink slips, signatures needed, phone calls to parents and dirty looks from teachers. Now, you might say to yourself, “but it’s only daycare.” Still, it is a learning institution; there is a curriculum to be followed and a time to begin circle time.
At my daycare, I advise all parents to arrive by 9;00 a.m. When children arrive later than the specified time, some children react; they pout, cry, complain, want mommy or won’t participate. Parents ask me, “Why is my child acting this way?”
I’ll give you an analogy. When you go to work, do you go straight to your desk and start working immediately? No, you don’t. You chitchat with your fellow co-workers about the weather or the news, or you go on a social media site to see what’s going on. We are social beings; well, children are the exact same way. Children need to arrive at daycare before their classes begin. They need to socialize and participate in free play. Their free play is our coffee time. Children need to ease slowly into their morning. When your child arrives late at daycare, and all the other children are sitting in a circle quietly awaiting the activities of the day, no kidding your child is shy, reluctant, hesitant, pouty or upset to walk into the classroom.
Children need their free-play time as much as adults need their coffee time. Imagine if you were at work, and you hadn't had your coffee yet? Wouldn't you pout?