Deciding when to place your child into daycare is a huge decision. Your child is precious and you probably value every moment you have with them.

But, daycare is more than just a place for them to go when you need to go to work. In fact research shows that daycare can help a young child to create friendships and build self-confidence.

The fact is that you can send your child to daycare from as young as 6 weeks; this is the minimum age that most daycare centres will accept.

The question then becomes more of whether you should place your child into daycare or not. 

Younger Has Benefits

Research and experience show that babies tend to be clingy from approximately 8 months on. You can help to minimize or avoid this reaction by getting them into daycare before this age.

The issue surrounds the fact that your baby is suddenly aware that they are not permanently attached to you. This is a scary thought since you are all they have known for nine months in the womb and the first six months of their life!

Consider The Daycare

Not all daycare centres are the same! You need to choose one like staracademykids.com.au which is committed to creating the best environment for your child to grow.

It is advisable to talk to other parents regarding their daycare choices and to complete a full evaluation of the one you hope to use.

It is also worth noting that some of the best daycare centres have long waiting lists. You might need to book your place as soon as your child is born!

A good daycare centre will also allow you to visit and assess the facilities for yourself.

Choosing The Age

In many cases this decision is made for you by your need to return to work. This means you need to start looking and preparing for daycare as early as possible.

It is normal for your baby to be emotional when you leave them for the first tie but you’ll be surprised at how quickly they settle in.

Why Leaving It Is Not A Good Idea

If you don’t need to return to work you may be tempted to wait for daycare or even skip it altogether.

However, if you adopt this approach you’re likely to find that your baby starts to suffer from anxiety separation. They will literally panic whenever you leave them, even if you are just going to the hairdressers.

It is also worth noting that babies develop very quickly in the first few years of their life. To reach their potential and absorb knowledge they need to be stimulated by different people and different environments. A daycare centre can help you achieve this.

The bottom line is that your baby can go into daycare from 6 weeks. It is really your circumstances that will dictate when they actually start daycare.
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