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It was just yesterday that your baby came into your world and now he or she is already several months old! Where did the time go? If you’re a working parent, you may be realizing that your maternity or paternity leave is coming to an end and that it will soon be time to return to work. You’re beginning to ask yourself, when is a good time for your baby to start day care? Which infant day care in the south Bronx or Brooklyn is best suited to help you and your baby with this transition? How much will it cost?

Tips for Making the Transition to Daycare Easier for Your Baby

LOOK FOR A FAMILY-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

At early ages, babies form attachments to their primary caregivers (you and family members!) which are very important to childhood development. For this reason, a daycare that offers small group sizes is a must so your child receives plenty of special attention and opportunity to interact with a loving caregiver. At Luminous Early Childhood Learning Centers in the Bronx and Brooklyn (Richman Plaza, Morris Heights, and four other centers), we work hard to create a small, family environment where each of our providers are tasked with care of only 4 children under 12 months-old. For children 12-24 months, each provider cares for only 5 children.  

INTRODUCE ROUTINE

For the most part, your baby sleeps for however long they want and eats whenever they’re hungry (which tends to be around the clock!). In fact, for an infant, day and night are virtually inseparable. To prepare for day care, try introducing some simple routines into your baby’s life. For example, having dinner at exactly the same time together or playing his or her favorite lullabies at the same hour of the day can go a long way towards fostering a sense of routine for your child.

PLAN TO STAY WITH YOUR BABY FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF DAYCARE

Studies have found that, by gradually increasing younger infants into daycare ─ particularly if parents are present the first few days — parents can help little ones feel less stressed and anxious. (Not all babies find the experience stressful but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared just in case.) Also, bring their favorite stuffed animal, blanket, or toy companion with them.

ARRANGE FOR YOUR BABY TO SPEND TIME AWAY WITH SOMEONE YOU TRUST

If your baby has never spent much time away from home, arranging for him or her to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening with a trusted family member, friend or godparent can help with the transition to daycare. Again, be sure your baby’s favorite animal, blanket, or toy comes along. This person you choose should of course be loving, attentive, and know your child.

SCHEDULE A TOUR

Having confidence in the daycare you choose is essential. Take time out to come to our center and have a look around. Meeting our staff and visiting our facility, spaces, and outdoor play areas is one of the best ways to figure out if our daycare is the best match for you and your child. Feel free to ask questions. 

CHOOSE A DAYCARE THAT HONORS VOUCHERS AND MAKES DAYCARE AFFORDABLE

Vouchers can help ease the financial stress of daycare - reducing the cost to as little as $1 to $50 dollars per week per child depending on eligibility. Learn more about qualifying for HRA and ACS vouchers for our Bronx and Brooklyn centers. Payment can also be made by SEIU/1199 Child Care, check, credit card, and through the Luminous reimbursement program.

Contact the Luminous Early Childhood Learning Center at info@luminouschildcare.org or call us at 718-682-3650.

Happy little African American boy in a pumpkin patch in autumn,

Hi, parents, and happy October! I’m so happy to celebrate my favorite season of the year. It's that time of year for fall fun with little ones. Here are some autumn- and Halloween-themed suggestions to keep your little one entertained.

As always, we are keeping these as simple as can be. Let’s get started! 

Squishy Fun

First is an activity that is great for our really tiny humans. If you plan to carve pumpkins, don’t throw away the guts of the pumpkin.

Instead, toss them in a gallon zip lock bag to create a super simple and squishy sensory activity for those 12-24-month-olds.

This way they are still involved in the pumpkin carving, but in a safe way. And this allows us parents to really focus on our own pumpkins, am I right? 

Pumpkin Washing

Another idea for our little littles is a pumpkin washing station. To keep it really simple, go for smaller pumpkins. You’ll need to grab a container, fill it with warm soapy water, and make sure there you’re set up in an area that is protected from the splashing or is OK to get wet.

Our three- and four-year-olds can really get involved in the activity by washing everyone’s pumpkins before the carving begins! 

With larger pumpkins, skip placing them in water. Instead, just give your little one a couple of washcloths and some warm soapy water. This way they can wipe down all the pumpkins, and get them nice and clean for carving. But you don’t have to find a giant tote to fill with water either. 

Sensory Bin

Another easy peasy sensory activity for our littles ones is a fall-themed sensory bin.

You could use multicolored dry pasta, pinecones, smooth acorns, or even some leaves. There is basically no mess when it comes to this activity since everything is pretty large and we parents love to hear that.

Give this one a try and let me know how it goes and how long your kiddo stayed engaged in the activity. 

Hunting for Decorations

This next one, I just did with my kiddo over the past weekend, and we had such a good time. I realized, I didn’t have any Autumn or Halloween decorations for our house! As such a huge fan of this time of year, that did not sit right with me. Lack of storage space keeps me from holding onto a lot of decorations, other than those we have for Christamas. 

So, I asked my kiddo if he wanted to go to the thrift store to pick out some decorations. Surprise, surprise, his response was “NOW?” It just so happened we had a few free hours before I had to go to work. So, I said “Sure!” and we were off. 

We headed over to our local Goodwill. I really tried to let him pick out the things he thought would be cute for our little home. He found some pumpkin string lights (LOVE), tealight candle holders (one black cat, a pumpkin, and a little ghost), a wooden pumpkin door hanger, and the cutest little stuffed pumpkin with a black top hat and black and white striped arms and legs. They are absolutely perfect.

Extra tip: Bring something to donate to the thrift store. Most thrift stores offer a coupon for making a donation. So not only was everything pretty cheap in the first place, we also got 20% off! We spent a total of only $10. And we had a great time doing it. 

But, the fun didn’t stop there. We still get to go home and decorate with our super fun finds. 

There you have it, friends! Easy peasy autumn activities to incorporate when you’ve got the time.

I hope they are just as much fun for you as they were for me. Let me know how it goes!

Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is a 3½-year-old preschooler.



Luminous removes the hassle of arranging for tuition vouchers and helps make childcare affordable. Vouchers can help ease your financial stress. Learn more about qualifying for HRA and ACS vouchers at our Bronx and Brooklyn centers. Payment can also be made by SEIU/1199 Child Care, check, credit card, and through the Luminous reimbursement program. Contact Luminous Early Childhood Learning Center at enrollment@luminouschildcare.orgor call us at 929.228.1180.