3 Ways to Stay Connected With Your Baby When They Start Daycare

Going back to work after having a baby can bring up a lot of emotions.

“Is it worth me going back to work?”

“I feel so guilty for wanting a career and a mom.”

“I didn’t put my other kids in daycare, but I can’t afford to be a stay at home mom”

“Will my baby remember me being gone?”

For many parents, one of the hardest thoughts isn’t actually leaving their baby at childcare. It’s wondering what leaving might mean for their relationship.

Those are very real worries.

Starting childcare in Colorado Springs doesn’t mean giving up your bond with your baby. Quite the opposite, when parents and caregivers work together, childcare, preschool and daycare (whichever option you pick for your family) can become another part of the support system surrounding your brand new baby— its not  meant to be something to worry about- working parents in Colorado Springs have enough to stress on!

Here are three simple ways to stay connected with your baby while they’re attending childcare.

1. Create Little Rituals That Belong to YOU

Babies thrive on repetition and familiarity, and your routines together can become powerful points of connection.

It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate either!

It could mean your first 20 minutes when you get home from work is just for skin to skin! (We also recommend skin to skin moments for children all the way from birth to age six!)

You can create a great car routine and your way home from us- eye spy,  or a fun song you know they’ll wiggle to- even in their car seat!

You can have a special phrase you say every morning at drop-off- or even take some extra time at  drop off to rock or nurse your baby!

At the end of the day, bath time is  also an opportunity for uninterrupted time together. Enjoy them being little and heading to the bath without a fit!

Even something as simple as slowing down for a few minutes when you get home—putting the phone away, getting on the floor, making eye contact and letting your baby reconnect with you—can become part of your family’s rhythm.

Your baby doesn’t need every hour of your day to build a strong relationship with you. They need consistent, loving interactions that teach them, again and again, “You are safe with me. I come back. I’m here.”

2. Let Your Childcare Provider Be Your Partner

Infant care works best when it isn’t divided into “home” and “daycare.”

It should be a partnership.

Tell your baby’s teachers what happened the night before. Let them know if your baby slept differently, tried a new food, started making a new sound or suddenly seems determined to roll over.

And your childcare provider should be communicating with you, too!

At Young Scholars Academy, we want parents to know about the little things that happen during the day—not just whether your baby ate and slept. Did they have two blowouts before you left the house and they’re rocking their third outfit as they walk in the door?

Those tiny details help connect the hours you’re apart.

When parents and teachers communicate about feeding, sleeping, development, temperament and new milestones, your baby’s day becomes much more consistent. Instead of two separate worlds, your baby has a team of adults working together to understand and support them.

And remember: your baby’s teacher isn’t replacing you.

They’re joining your village.

3. Make the Time You Have Together Count

There can be a lot of pressure on working parents to “make up” for being away from their baby.

You don’t have to.

You don’t need an elaborate activity every evening or an entire weekend planned around entertaining your child.

Babies connect through incredibly ordinary moments.

Hold them while you give them their bottle. Talk to them while you’re changing their diaper. Let them watch your face while you sing. Read the same book for the hundredth time. Sit together on the floor before bedtime.

Those seemingly small interactions are doing a lot of work.

Your voice, smell, touch and face are deeply familiar to your baby. Coming back together at the end of the day reinforces that relationship over and over again.

Childcare Should Add to Your Baby’s World, Not Take Away From Yours

Choosing infant care can feel enormous—especially when you’re leaving your baby with someone outside your family for the first time.

A quality infant program should understand that.

We aren’t just building a relationship with your baby. We’re building one with you, too.

At Young Scholars Academy, we believe parents should feel like they are part of their child’s day, even when they can’t physically be here. Communication, consistency and trust between families and teachers are a huge part of providing great infant care.

Because ultimately, we’re working toward the exact same thing:

A baby who feels safe, loved, understood and surrounded by people who care about them.

You will always be your baby’s parent. Childcare doesn’t change that.

It simply gives you a few more people in your corner.

Don’t Let the “Restaurant Scaries” Stop You From Making Memories

Eating out with kids can sometimes feel less like a relaxing meal and more like an adventure you didn’t exactly plan for.

Between picky eaters, short attention spans, spilled drinks, and the inevitable “When is our food coming?” family restaurant outings definitely come with their own challenges.

But that DOESN’T  mean you avoid them until the kids are older. Then you’ll have 7 year olds who rely on entertainment at restaurants.

Eating out gives children a chance to practice patience, make choices, try new foods, interact with new people, and learn how to behave in different environments. And, just as importantly, it gives your family another opportunity to make memories together (both the good and the bad.)

Here are five ways to make eating out with young children a little easier.

1. Choose the Right Restaurant

Not every restaurant is equally suited for young children—and choosing the right place can make a huge difference.

Look for restaurants with a relaxed atmosphere, family-friendly seating, a reasonably quick menu, and several options your children are likely to eat.

This might not be the season of life for a two-hour, five-course dinner, and that’s okay! Choose a restaurant that works for your family right now.

2. Check the Menu Before You Go

Take a quick look at the menu online before leaving home.

Knowing what your child can eat—and having a backup option in mind—can prevent a lot of last-minute stress once everyone is sitting at the table and hungry.

If your child is a picky eater, don’t be afraid to ask whether the restaurant can make simple adjustments. Sauce on the side, plain noodles, separated ingredients, or a simple version of a dish can sometimes make all the difference.

3. Bring a Few Quiet Activities

Waiting is hard when you’re little!

A few simple activities can help bridge the gap between ordering and eating without requiring you to bring an entire toy box.

Try bringing:

• Coloring pages and crayons
• A small book
• A simple puzzle or card game
• Stickers
• A favorite small toy

When in doubt, activity it out! If there’s one thing we’d like you to take away 

The goal isn’t to keep your child perfectly entertained every second. It’s simply to have a few tools available when that waiting time starts feeling a little too long.

4. Give Kids Some Control

Children often enjoy restaurant visits more when they get to make a few choices.

Let them choose between two meals, pick their drink, or decide whether they want fruit or vegetables with their food.

Limited choices allow children to feel involved without turning dinner into a negotiation.

Instead of asking, “What do you want?” try something like, “Would you like chicken or pasta?”

A little independence can go a long way.

5. Keep Your Expectations Realistic

Young children aren’t going to behave like adults at a restaurant—and we shouldn’t expect them to.

Instead of expecting perfect table manners for an entire meal, focus on a few simple expectations:

Use an inside voice. Stay in your seat when possible. Be respectful of other diners and restaurant staff.

And remember to notice when things are going right, too.

A quick “I love how patiently you’re waiting,” or “Thank you for using such nice manners with our server,” can be much more effective than only pointing out mistakes.

Remember to Enjoy the Experience

Perhaps the most important tip is to take some of the pressure off yourself.

Family meals don’t have to be perfect.

There may be spilled drinks, dropped forks, unfinished meals, bathroom trips at the worst possible moment, or an unexpected meltdown right before the check arrives.

That’s part of eating out with kids.

The goal isn’t a flawless restaurant experience. It’s spending time together, letting your children experience something different, practicing important life skills, and creating family memories along the way.

So don’t let the “restaurant scaries” keep you home.

Pick a family-friendly spot, pack a few crayons, lower the expectations a little—and go make the memory.

“They Do WHAT at School?!” Why Your Child Behaves Differently at Preschool Than at Home

If you’ve ever picked your child up from preschool and heard something that made you question whether their teacher had you confused with another family, you’re not alone.

“They cleaned up all their toys.”

Excuse me?

“They ate all their vegetables at lunch.”

My child?

“They put their own coat on.”

You’re telling me the same child who suddenly loses the use of both arms when it’s time to get dressed at home… puts on their own coat here?

And perhaps the biggest shocker of all:

“They were a great listener today!”

WHOSE CHILD ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?!

We hear versions of these conversations all the time in early childhood education.

And while it’s funny, there’s actually a really important reason children can seem like completely different little humans at school and at home.

The short answer?

Environment matters.

Preschool Is Extremely Predictable

A good early childhood classroom might look like organized chaos from the outside, but underneath all that playing, painting, singing and movement is a very predictable routine.

Children learn what happens next.

We arrive. We put our things away. We wash our hands. We play. We clean up. We eat. We go outside. We rest.

The exact schedule varies, but the expectations generally don’t.

And young children thrive on knowing what’s coming next.

Teachers also repeat the same expectations over and over—and over and over and over—because repetition is how young children learn.

At home, life naturally isn’t quite as predictable.

Dinner is late because someone worked late. There’s soccer tonight. The dog threw up. Someone can’t find a shoe. Mom needs to answer a phone call. Dad is trying to get three people out the door.

That’s normal life.

But it also means home doesn’t always have the same built-in structure that a classroom does.

Never Underestimate the Power of Other Kids

Want your preschooler to try something?

Sometimes the best strategy is putting them next to six other preschoolers who are already doing it.

Peer modeling is incredibly powerful during early childhood.

When everyone at the table is eating, children are often more willing to try what’s being served.

When everyone starts cleaning up, cleaning up becomes what we do.

When everyone grabs their coat to go outside, suddenly putting on a coat isn’t quite the outrageous request it seemed to be at home that morning.

Children learn constantly by watching other children.

It’s one of the reasons group care can provide learning opportunities that are difficult to recreate anywhere else.

At School, We Know They Can Do It

Here’s another piece parents don’t always get to see.

Sometimes we’re a little more willing to wait.

Your child says:

“I can’t put my shoes on.”

And instead of immediately doing it for them, a teacher might say:

“Give it a try first. I’ll help if you need me.”

And then we wait.

It might take longer.

The shoe might go on the wrong foot.

They might get frustrated.

But eventually…

They do it.

At home, adults are usually trying to get somewhere.

It’s 7:42 in the morning, everyone needs to be out the door, someone hasn’t brushed their teeth and now is absolutely NOT the time for a twelve-minute independent shoe experiment.

So you put the shoes on.

We’ve all been there.

The problem comes when children rarely get the opportunity to struggle with something long enough to discover that they’re actually capable of doing it.

Independence requires practice.

Sometimes teachers simply have more opportunities throughout the day to say:

“I know you can try.”

Expectations Change Behavior

Children are incredibly good at figuring out which expectations exist in which environments.

Think about adults.

You probably behave differently at work than you do sitting on your couch Saturday night.

Children do this too.

They learn very quickly:

At school, I carry my plate to the table.

At school, I put the blocks away when we’re finished.

At school, I wait until it’s my turn.

At school, I carry my own backpack.

It’s not because teachers have some magical power parents haven’t discovered.

It’s because those expectations have been practiced consistently enough that they’ve simply become part of the routine.

And Then… There’s Home

Here’s the part that sometimes gets overlooked.

Your child behaving beautifully all day and then completely falling apart when they get home doesn’t necessarily mean something went wrong at school.

School asks a LOT from little brains.

All day long they’re sharing.

Listening.

Waiting.

Communicating.

Problem-solving.

Transitioning.

Following directions.

Managing disappointment.

Navigating friendships.

Trying new things.

Using self-control.

Learning.

By pickup time, their little battery may be running on 2%.

And then they see you.

Their person.

Their familiar place.

Home.

And suddenly…

THE WRONG CUP IS AN EMERGENCY.

This is often when parents wonder:

“How can their teacher tell me they had an amazing day when they’re completely losing it right now?”

Both things can be true.

Your child may genuinely have had a wonderful day.

And your child may also be completely done holding it together.

So Why Do They Save the Biggest Feelings for Us?

Because home and school serve different purposes.

Preschool gives children opportunities to practice functioning as part of a community.

Home gives them familiarity, connection and a place to decompress.

That doesn’t mean parents should accept every behavior because “they’re comfortable with me.”

Boundaries still matter.

Consistency still matters.

But sometimes understanding why a behavior is happening changes how we respond to it.

A hungry, exhausted four-year-old melting down at 5:30 isn’t necessarily asking for a lecture about making good choices.

Sometimes they need food, connection, predictability and an early bedtime.

Want Some of That Preschool Magic at Home?

You don’t need to turn your house into a classroom.

But you can steal a few things preschool teachers do every day.

Give fewer words.
Young children usually don’t need a five-minute explanation. Give the direction simply and clearly.

Give choices you can live with.
“Do you want to put your shoes on or your jacket first?”

Either answer gets us closer to leaving the house.

Create predictable routines.
If pajamas, teeth, book and bed happen in roughly the same order every night, eventually children know what’s expected without needing twelve reminders.

Let them do things themselves.
Even when it’s slower.

Pouring. Carrying. Cleaning. Dressing. Opening. Zipping. Putting away.

They won’t become independent if they never get to practice independence.

Don’t underestimate what they’re capable of.

This might be our favorite one.

Because sometimes we’ll tell a parent:

“Oh yeah, they do that themselves every day.”

And the look we get back is priceless.

Your Child Isn’t “Better” for Their Teacher

This is probably the biggest misconception we want to clear up.

Your child isn’t choosing to be a “good kid” at school and a “bad kid” at home.

And their teacher hasn’t unlocked some secret parenting code.

They’re responding to two completely different environments.

One has group routines, peer modeling, repeated expectations and lots of opportunities to practice independence.

The other has family relationships, busy schedules, different expectations and the people they love most in the world.

Children need both.

Preschool helps children learn how to function in a community.

Home gives them the foundation they return to.

And somewhere between the two, they’re learning how to become increasingly capable, independent little humans.

So the next time your child’s teacher casually mentions that they cleaned their entire space, put on their own coat, ate something green AND listened beautifully all day…

Don’t worry.

We’re talking about the right kid.

We promise. 😉

A Hard 15 Minutes Doesn’t Have to Become a Hard Day

We’ve all had those mornings.

You wake up late. Someone can’t find a shoe. Your coffee is getting cold. Your child suddenly hates the shirt they loved yesterday. You’re thinking about the 47 things you need to accomplish before lunch, and your preschooler has decided that right now is the appropriate time to have very strong feelings about the blue cup.

And before you know it, you’re saying:

“We are having a TERRIBLE morning.”

But are we?

Or are we having a terrible ten minutes?

That distinction matters—especially to young children.

Our Kids Borrow Our Nervous Systems

Self-regulation is something we talk about constantly in early childhood education. We want children to learn how to handle disappointment, wait their turn, communicate their needs, recover from frustration, and move forward after something doesn’t go their way.

But young children aren’t born knowing how to do those things.

They learn regulation largely through co-regulation—experiencing big feelings alongside a calm, safe adult who helps them get back to baseline.

And that’s where we, as adults, sometimes have to check ourselves.

Your child spills milk when you’re already running late.

The spill is frustrating.

But then comes:

“Why do you always do this when we’re trying to leave?”

Now the spilled milk isn’t just a spill anymore.

Your stress has entered the room, too.

Children are incredibly sensitive to our tone, facial expressions, body language, and energy. They may not understand that you’re worried about a meeting at 9:00, slept terribly last night, or have a dozen things on your mind.

They just know Mom seems upset. Dad seems stressed. Something feels wrong.

And sometimes their behavior gets bigger because of it.

Don’t Give 15 Hard Minutes the Whole Day

One of the best things we can teach our children—and practice ourselves—is how to reset.

A rough morning doesn’t have to become a rough day.

A tantrum at 7:42 doesn’t need to define 8:00.

You don’t even have to wait until tomorrow to start over.

Try mentally breaking difficult moments into smaller pieces:

“The next five minutes, we’re just getting dressed.”

Then:

“The next five minutes, we’re getting shoes and coats.”

Then:

“The next five minutes, we’re getting into the car.”

That’s it.

You don’t have to solve the entire morning at once.

Sometimes parenting feels overwhelming because we’re mentally carrying the next eight hours while trying to convince a four-year-old to put on pants.

Come back to the next five minutes.

Give Choices Before There Is a Battle

Young children hear instructions all day long.

Get dressed.
Brush your teeth.
Eat breakfast.
Put your shoes on.
Get in the car.
Put your backpack on.

Imagine starting your day with someone following you around giving you instructions every 90 seconds.

You might get a little cranky, too.

Whenever possible, give children appropriate control.

Instead of:

“Put this shirt on.”

Try:

“Do you want your blue shirt or your green shirt today?”

Instead of:

“Go brush your teeth.”

Try:

“Do you want to brush your teeth before you get dressed or after?”

You’re still holding the boundary. Teeth are getting brushed. Clothes are being worn.

But your child gets to have some ownership over how it happens.

That tiny bit of independence can prevent a surprisingly large power struggle.

Make Tomorrow Morning Easier Tonight

Morning routines often aren’t actually morning problems.

They’re the-night-before problems.

If mornings consistently feel rushed, look for two or three decisions you can remove before everyone goes to bed.

Let your child choose between two outfits and set one out.

Put shoes by the door.

Pack backpacks.

Decide what’s for breakfast.

Find the water bottle that somehow disappears into another dimension every evening.

For preschool-aged children, you can even make preparation part of their bedtime routine.

“Okay, let’s get Future You ready for tomorrow.”

Young children LOVE feeling capable.

And every time they participate in preparing for their own day, you’re building independence and executive-function skills at the same time.

Be Careful With the Story You Tell About the Day

There’s a big difference between:

“You are being so difficult today.”

and

“Getting ready feels really hard this morning. Let’s figure it out.”

One describes the child.

The other describes the moment.

That’s important.

We don’t want children beginning their day believing:

I’m bad today.

Mom is mad at me.

I ruin mornings.

I’m always difficult.

Behavior is communication, and difficult behavior is often a sign that a child needs something: connection, sleep, predictability, independence, reassurance, food, movement, or simply help regulating a feeling that’s too big for their little body.

We can correct behavior without turning the behavior into an identity.

Parents Get to Reset, Too

Here’s another important part of this conversation:

You’re going to lose your patience sometimes.

You’re going to use the wrong tone.

You’re going to rush.

You’re going to say something and immediately think, Well, that wasn’t my finest parenting moment.

Your child doesn’t need perfection.

What matters is what happens next.

You can say:

“I was feeling frustrated and I used a really grumpy voice. I’m going to try that again.”

Think about what that teaches.

Adults have emotions.

Adults make mistakes.

Adults can apologize.

Adults can calm themselves down.

And most importantly:

We can restart.

That’s self-regulation happening right in front of your child.

Try the Five-Minute Reset

The next time you feel an entire morning starting to unravel, stop thinking about the entire morning.

Think about five minutes.

Ask yourself:

What does my child actually need from me for the next five minutes?

Maybe it’s a clear choice.

Maybe it’s fewer words.

Maybe it’s a hug.

Maybe it’s a firm boundary delivered calmly.

Maybe everybody needs to stop searching for the missing shoe for 30 seconds and reset.

Then handle the next five.

And the next five.

Because one hard moment doesn’t deserve ownership of the entire day.

The Goal Isn’t a Perfect Morning

At Young Scholars Academy, we talk a lot about helping children develop independence, confidence, emotional regulation, problem-solving skills, and resilience.

But those skills aren’t developed only in the classroom.

They’re being built during the ordinary moments of childhood.

Getting dressed.

Leaving the house.

Hearing “no.”

Waiting.

Being disappointed.

Trying again.

And watching the adults they love navigate their own emotions.

We don’t need to eliminate every hard moment for our children.

We need to show them that hard moments end.

You can be frustrated and recover.

You can have a difficult five minutes and still have a wonderful morning.

You can make a mistake and try again.

And sometimes one of the most powerful things we can tell a child—and ourselves—is:

“That was a hard moment. But it’s over now. Let’s start again.”

Because your bad five minutes don’t have to become their bad day.