A first day at daycare is a big step for your child and often a bigger one for you. A little preparation in the weeks beforehand makes the morning calmer for everyone. Here is what we recommend to families starting at our Moorebank centre.

Visit before you start

Book a tour and bring your child. Walking through the rooms, seeing the sandpit and climbing frame and meeting an educator turns an unknown into a familiar place. We also offer orientation visits before the first full day so your child can play while you stay nearby.

Talk about it, then talk about it again

Use the centre’s name, the educators’ names and simple, concrete descriptions: “At Early Foundations you will play outside, eat lunch and have a rest.” Picture books about starting daycare help too. Keep the tone matter of fact rather than a countdown.

Shift the routine early

If your child needs to be up by 6:30 for a 7:30 drop-off, start moving wake-up and bedtime a week or two ahead. Practise the morning sequence on a weekend so the first day is not the first rehearsal.

Pack together

Let your child help choose their bag and put in spare clothes, a hat and a comfort item. Label everything. Meals are cooked on site at our centre, so you will not need a lunchbox, but a familiar water bottle helps.

Plan the goodbye

Decide on a short, warm, predictable goodbye and stick to it: a hug, a phrase, a wave at the window. Slipping out unseen feels easier but makes the next drop-off harder. Tears at goodbye are normal and usually stop within minutes; our educators will let you know through the OWNA app how the morning went.

Start short if you can

A few shorter days in the first week, or a half day to begin, gives your child time to build trust with their educators before a full stretch. Talk to us about a settling-in plan that fits your work hours.

Look after yourself too

The first drop-off is emotional. Have a coffee, call a friend, and remember that most children are happily playing long before their parents have stopped worrying.