What daycare kids really need from you on the weekend

Posted in Childcare.
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Clear your weekend calendar because after a long week, your kids need a little downtime too, and here’s why. 

Time to unwind

Think about how you feel on a Friday night after another week at work. 

Exhausted? Don’t want to do anything?

Same goes for our little ones who’ve spent the week at daycare.

While they’ve no doubt had fun and learnt lots of things, they need a day or two at home to help fill their cup back up. 

Babyology’s Mothercraft nurse, Chris Minogue says it can sometimes feel right to enrol kids in swimming or other activities after a week in daycare – but for best results, don’t. 

Here’s what to do instead: 

1. Mornings are for PJs

Give your kids at least one morning of the weekend where they don’t have to get dressed for a long stretch.

2. Free play

Daycare kids are used to rules and routines and because of this, they’ll need to test out the boundaries at home. This means mess and noise, like letting them muck around in the backyard with the hose, but it’s totally normal behaviour. 

3. Make sleep time earlier 

Your little sleepy heads usually need some extra sleep during the weekend. Try putting your little ones down earlier on the weekend days for a slightly longer nap. This means they’ll still wake up at normal time without upsetting bedtime. 

4. Try to keep one day as calm as possible

If you’ve got a commitment on one of the weekend days, keep the other one for a ‘down day’. This means you don’t use the car and try not to leave the house or go too far. This slows everyone down and keeps the house calm. 

Obviously, we all have busy lives and there will always be jobs that need doing. And Chris is not suggesting that you sit around doing absolutely nothing for two days (unless you want to).

But the point is, the slower we can go, the more everyone in the family will benefit. Parents included. 


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