Starting Childcare

Preparing For Transition

How can you help manage the transition when going back to work after maternity leave, enrolling in a preschool program, or changing care providers? As a recently opened program in Sterling, Virginia, we have new children and families starting childcare or starting preschool every day. Here are three simple tips to help ease into a new routine:

• Visit

Once you decide on a quality provider, schedule a visit with your child prior to your official start date. This will allow your family to meet and greet their teachers, learn the layout of his classroom, and see the fun happening in their class. This visit can also help answer questions you may have as a parent.

• Connect

Sometimes it seems like life in Northern Virginia is moving faster than we are. Taking time to slow down and connect with your child’s care giver allows you to get to know each other and your expectations. Sharing information about what happens at home and what happens at school build continuity between the two environments.

• Talk About It

Daily conversations about school help your child to process what happened and share their new world with you. As a parent, we can support teachers by showing interest in a child’s comments. Complimenting teachers and staff to your children helps build a child’s confidence and trust.

Golden Path Academy is a play-based, faith-based preschool and childcare program in Sterling, Virginia. We serve families from both Loudoun County and Fairfax County. The mission of Golden Path Academy is to provide a path of excellence for the whole child and their family, nurturing growth, in a safe, loving, high-quality Christian child development center.