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As a parent, you strive to ensure your baby gets enough sleep. It’s normal for infants to experience a sleep regression when starting daycare, but navigating this transition can be challenging. At The Little Red Barn, we’re committed to making this transition as smooth as possible, providing ample communication to guide you and your child through sleep regression.

What to Expect During Regression:

Most infants adjust to a nursery routine within a few weeks. During this time, you may notice changes in your child’s sleep schedule:

• shorter napping at school
• shorter napping at home
• less sleeping at nighttime

But do not fret, this is completely normal and even developmentally appropriate!

Why Does This Happen?

Several factors contribute to sleep regression in daycare. It’s common for infants in a classroom to nap at different times, as it’s rare for all the infants to nap at the same time. In most nursery settings, there are rules put in place to limit the amount of time that the lights are off during children’s awake hours for safety reasons, therefore this can disrupt babies’ sleep, especially if they’re accustomed to sleeping in a dark, quiet room at home. Other accommodations, such as holding or rocking a child, may also be hindered due to room capacity which can affect sleep duration.

How Can You Help?

Here are some strategies to help your child adjust to life in a nursery and make these changes easier at home:

• Communicate with your child’s teacher(s): This will help them understand your infant’s routines and any accommodations they may need.
  • Sharing your child’s sleepy cues and optimal wake windows with teachers is crucial for a successful sleep experience. While it may not always work, it’s essential for teachers to recognize your child’s prime sleepy time to avoid putting them down before they’re tired or overtired. 

• Create a consistent sleep schedule at home to implement at school: Maintain a sleep environment similar to school. This will make mimicking their home routine a lot easier!
  • Using appropriate sleeping attire: In a daycare that adheres to safe sleep protocols, the only items your child will have in their crib are a sleep sack (unweighted), a pacifier, and a fitted sheet! Creating a consistent sleep environment at home, similar to the one at school, is an ideal way for infants to acclimate to a new space.

• Offer comfort without reinforcing awake time: Hold or rock your child gently, but encourage independent sleep (giving them chances to self-soothe).
  • Infants’ naps may become shorter in a nursery setting. Understanding how to manage this is vital for teachers to provide the best possible care, whether it’s gently patting your child back to sleep or extending their nap time a few minutes after waking up.

• Be Patient and Understanding: Recognize that this transition may take time, and be patient with your child’s adjustments. Remember to give yourself grace as well! It can take a few weeks for an infant to adjust to large group care, and in some cases longer especially if your child attends part time.

By implementing these strategies, you can help your child adjust to nursery life and ensure they get as much sleep as possible.

How WE can help:

At The Little Red Barn, we are dedicated to making your child’s daily experience as comfortable as possible! We are committed to working with you in any way we can to ensure your child’s needs are met and we understand that consistency and open communication are essential for a successful transition.

The Little Red Barn is just the beginning of your child’s learning journey! Transitioning from infant to toddler life can be stressful, but we’re here to make it as smooth as possible. This guide will help you take small steps towards becoming a soon-to-be toddler parent!

What milestones should you expect to see from your 1 year old?

From Waddles to Toddles 

Around a year old, most children start exploring new ways to move around. As they begin to pull themselves up, they will eventually let go and become more confident in walking! Remember that each child develops at their own pace, and while it’s common for children to start walking around the one-year mark, it’s also perfectly normal for a child to start walking later or even earlier! As educators, we understand that helping your child reach each developmental milestone is crucial for their growth and successful learning!

What does this mean for The Barn?

         Walking is fundamental for toddlers and will be a milestone that we look for when addressing transitions into The Big Red Barn’s toddler program. Wearing hard-soled shoes daily is the first step towards becoming more independent in the classroom!

From Bottles to Sippy Cups

Transitioning from a bottle to a sippy cup is not an easy task. One of the easier ways to start transitioning your child to cow’s milk is to begin with a lower quantity of formula/breast milk and gradually increase their food intake. Always consult your pediatrician to ensure that the time is appropriate for these transitions!

What does this look like a The Barn? 

The Big Red Barn will start to supply 2% milk for lunch time and will provide snacks daily. There will be an AM and PM snack and both will contain at least 2 food groups!

Sleepytime Toddlers

        Infants, due to their rapid growth and daily development, require more sleep. Around 12 to 18 months, a child’s wake window usually expands to 4 to 6 hours! As a result, toddlers can comfortably get away with one nap a day!

What does this look like at The Barn? 

Children transition from napping in a crib to napping on a mat and all children must be on one nap a day. A sheet and blanket for nap time are provided by The Big Red Barn.

Utensil Introduction & Independent Feeding

Self-feeding is a vital aspect of early development, as it enhances fine motor skills, introduces infants to different textures and flavors, and promotes a positive relationship with food by enabling them to choose and consume at their own pace. Introducing infants to utensils like forks and spoons during the toddler program fosters healthy habits, as it encourages conversations with friends and synchronized eating.

*Always consult your pediatrician to ensure that your child doesn’t have food allergies and that the time is appropriate to begin eating solid foods!*

What does this look like at The Barn? 

        In the toddler program, children have scheduled times throughout the day when they sit together and have a “family-style” meal. This is important because it allows each child to learn how to eat independently while still being able to converse with their teachers and peers.

What to Look Forward to with your Toddler:

POTTY TRAINING

Potty training begins in our toddler program! Please reach out whenever you think your child might be ready to start the process and we will work as a team to get you kiddo potty trained! Here’s a link to read more about our potty training program!

If you’re concerned about making these changes on your own, The Little Red Barn provides ample time and support to ensure a smooth transition for your child!

A Day in the Life of a Toddler at The Big Red Barn:

In the toddler program, students begin to learn how to engage and interact with each other during various small group opportunities, such as morning and closing circles and developmental learning centers.

We dive deeper into Conscious Discipline by strengthening social and emotional connections with our peers and teachers. By acquiring self-regulation strategies, we begin to discover new ways to express our feelings verbally!  

Through Frogstreet Curriculum, students are introduced to more challenging concepts that immerse them in problem-solving and creativity! Frogstreet makes learning fun and engaging through different languages such as english, spanish, and ASL! Each child’s skills are nurtured through discovery and exploration in a safe and fun environment. They’ll get messy and rediscover the joy of being a kid!

Outdoor Play

        Outdoor play is an integral part of our program! In the toddler program, children have the chance to explore the outdoors up to three times a day, for a duration of 45 minutes to an hour. Our students have access to three gated-off play areas, where they can engage in various sensory activities, immerse themselves in nature, and embrace the joy of getting messy!

For more information about our toddler program, please visit The Big Red Barn website.

As early childhood educators, our primary responsibility is to provide exceptional care and quality education to each and every child. Infant care involves creating a safe and nurturing environment, engaging their minds with stimulating and enjoyable activities, and closely monitoring significant developmental milestones to ensure their growth reaches its fullest potential! Infants develop their communication skills by expressing their needs through various cues and relying heavily on human interaction to foster bonding relationships. As caregivers, we harbor valuable experience in understanding and interacting with infants on a daily basis, learning to decipher their cues and respond promptly. Here at The Little Red Barn Nursery, our goal is to provide attentive care and create a space for infants to explore, engage in messy play, make mistakes, and take giant leaps towards a successful future.

Developmental Milestones through Frogstreet 

We delve deep into the fascinating world of developmental and individualized learning! For our infants, we embark on an exciting journey of introducing concepts in four key areas: language development, physical development, cognitive development, and social-emotional development within our Frogstreet Curriculum. 

Language Development:

We nurture language development in infants by encouraging healthy and trusting teacher-child interactions. We use engaging activities in order to build oral language and vocabulary through sign language, photo cards and songs. These play a major role in helping infants grasp language concepts. 

Physical Development:

Intentional activities support physical development by encouraging gross and fine motor skills. Infants engage in activities that promote reaching, grasping, and manipulating objects, while using descriptive language to vocalize positive gestures. 

Cognitive Development:

Infants explore and learn through interactive play and exploration. Kids participate in activities that encourage infants to discover different textures, sounds, matching, and sizes! 

Social-Emotional Development:

Social-emotional development plays a prominent role in Frogstreet infant curriculum. It fosters strong teacher-child interactions through building trust and encouraging responsive caregiving. 

The Conscious Discipline Way 

At The Little Red Barn, we are dedicated to positive reinforcement in our interactions with children. We firmly believe in framing interactions constructively and supportively, rather than resorting to negative reinforcement. Positive choice language empowers children to make decisions and comprehend their consequences positively. Through

Conscious Discipline, we introduce early concepts of positive self-expression, coping strategies, and stress management techniques, not only for our infants but also for our teachers. 

Nurturing Natural Talents 

Nurturing a child’s natural talents and abilities through extracurricular activities is a significant aspect of our identity. You never know if a child has musical talent unless you provide them with an instrument. Engaging in enjoyable activities like Music with Munchkins, Tiny Tots Dance, and Creative Critters allows infants to develop and explore their unique skills and foster a sense of self-discovery! 

Early Education Vs. Daycare 

How young is too young to receive a quality education? At the Little Red Barn, we strive to create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for infants to make cherished memories through playful exploration and discovery. Unlike traditional daycares, we offer personalized care that meets the unique needs of each infant, fostering their growth and potential by establishing a solid educational foundation through the FrogStreet Curriculum and Conscious Discipline! Check out our sister school’s blog for more information on what it means to attend an Early Learning Center vs. a Daycare.