Minimising childcare sleeping difficulties:

The shift to childcare can manifest into sleeping difficulties for a young mind.  

Educational and Leadership Manager, Kristy Busuttil from First Grammar discusses the essentials to help you and your child sleep at night once they have started childcare.

Here is her checklist to help your child sleep easy...

• Talk about your child’s teachers and day at their childcare in general, discussing with positive reinforcement the activities and other elements that comprised their day.
• You should also develop a rapport with your child’s teacher where possible, and speak with them about the sort of day (including the day’s learning topics and activities) it was so that you can later extend on the day’s discussions with your child. Positive discussion will help alleviate or bring to light any anxieties your child may feel in such a new environment.
• If age appropriate, adopt a reward sticker chart if sleeping through the night is successful. This will in many cases replicate the reward systems of your day-care and foster continuity.
• Read to your child at night, particularly calm and soothing stories.
• Discuss with your child the importance of the routine at bedtime.
• Use a night-light if you deem it necessary.
• Use little reassurances and positive verbal directions.
• Acknowledge signs of tiredness and respond promptly- these include rubbing eyes, yawning, whinging, crying, rapid mood changes from cheerful to tearful, or being fussy with food.
• Use comforters such as a favourite soft toy.
• Keep a family photo of close immediate family beside your child’s bed.
• Parents can sit with the child for reassurance at the end of the bed, beside the bed, in the middle of the room by the doorway, or just outside the room until the child is sound asleep.
• Play relaxing background music in the room or from another room.
• Spray the room with lavender or place a few drops of lavender on your child’s pillowcase.
• Give your child a warm bath with a relaxing essential oil in the bath before bedtime.
• Give your child a full body massage using a relaxing essential oil.
• Burn aromatic oils for relaxation-a choice from the list below is best for rest.

For further information or tips from Kristy Busuttil and First Grammar, please visit www.firstgrammar.com.au