Connecting with other parents and carers can enhance your child’s daycare or school experience. Bonding with other parents, whether at a daycare or childcare centre, is a good way to help your child learn about the value of connecting with others to build relationships. Seeing you communicate with others will also support the development of their own communications skills.
When you drop off and pick up your child from daycare or childcare, try to spend a few minutes talking with other parents. Follow these tips to help you connect with other parents at your child’s daycare or early learning centre.
- First day at a new childcare centre: On your child’s first day at daycare or preschool, try to introduce yourself to the other parents. This first interaction will help build stronger connections in the future. Find time to converse, share thoughts about the early learning centre, or discuss your family and kids.
- Form a group: Connect with parents via social media platforms such as Facebook or Whatsapp, where you can discuss daycare activities, share your own parenting experiences, organise play dates, and even send invitations to your child’s birthday party.
- Volunteer: Volunteering for an activity, workshop, or event at your child’s daycare centre is also an excellent way to connect with other parents. For example, you can help decorate the centre for an event, bake for a fundraiser, or join the educators and children on an incursion or excursion. You will allow you to become a familiar face among other parents and meet your children’s friends.
- Help each other: When your child is in preschool, it is beneficial to teach them life skills such as sharing, cooperation, communication, and making friends. This is especially beneficial for toddler to preschool aged children as they move through the sensitive period of social skills. When they see you talk to other people and help them with little things, they are inspired to mimic and learn these skills. An easy start would be to simply ask a passing family how they are, and even hold the door for them.
Final Takeaway
Connecting with other parents from your child’s childcare centre or preschool helps you get more involved in your child’s life. It is a beautiful way of showing up for your child, as well as getting to know your child and their friends better. It is also a great opportunity for you to make new adult friends and bond over your parenting experiences. From utilising social media to starting a simple conversation, or a friendly smile or wave hello, there are many effective ways to connect with other guardians.