Motherhood usually comes with many responsibilities, which most mothers handle pretty well. Nothing is irritating to a mother like bumping into an empty daycare bag in the morning when she is just about to leave the house. In addition, packing your daycare bag in a hurry is never fruitful since you are likely to forget essential items or pack inappropriately. However, your work will not be complex with a toddler daycare packing list.
Remember, each care provider features suggestions and policies regarding supplies. Therefore, ensure you find these supplies from your care provider before time. When you plan correctly, there is no doubt that you and your baby will have an excellent day. Consider using a toddler daycare packing list because it gives you the confidence you require.
What Is a Toddler Daycare Packing List?
A toddler daycare packing list is a document of necessities you must carry to a daycare center whenever you drop off your baby. It helps you and the care provider stay organized and offer the baby the best services that leave her satisfied.
The Ultimate Toddler Daycare Packing List
Suppose you are looking forward to packing for daycare appropriately. You must at least have two bags. A single bag incorporating bedding, clothing, wipes, spare pacifier, sun hat, sunscreen, medication, and diapers should stay at daycare. If necessary, you can replenish it. You should carry the second bag with your baby daily to and from the daycare. And it should have food, cups, bottles, bibs, stuffed toys, pacifiers, wipes, diaper cream, and diapers.
Sheets and blankets
A few daycare centers usually need parents to come with crib bedding for their toddlers. On the other hand, several centers guarantee you laundry services. However, ensure you pack an extra set of blankets and sheets, better safe than sorry. Your second weekly bag should also feature an extra set of this. Suppose you are worried that your baby will not be able to get sleep at the daycare. Ensure the sheets packed incorporate your scent. The mother’s scent is usually recognizable to the baby, and it helps her settle quickly.
Pacifier
Ensure the daycare bag has a pacifier if the baby loves it. Bear in mind that it can be misplaced easily, and many parents never want to carry on for their babies. Therefore, if you decide to pack, ensure both bags have them for emergency purposes in case one gets lost. When your baby becomes mobile, label the pacifier using a non-toxic marker.
Diaper rash ointment or cream
This rolls down to a personal preference because some individuals do not like daycare using medication while others do. It would help if you considered how often you require to take a new cream to your daycare. Ideally, you should carry the baby’s ointment or cream in the daily daycare bag.
Wipes
Pack sufficient wipes in your weekly bag. After a few days, confirm whether you require to refill the package. Similarly, your daily package should also feature a small package of wipes. This can serve if you forget to refill your weekly daycare bag. Remember, it also assists you in keeping a pen as well as a notepad outside your daily bag. In addition, it helps commence a checklist on your device and take note of items that need replenishment. Therefore, ensure you review your list every evening as you pack for the next day.
Diapers
Ensure you carry a labeled diaper pack and leave it at the daycare when each week starts. If you are uncertain about the number of diapers your baby is likely to carry, at least pack 8-10 each day. Carry several extra diapers in the daily bag. Better have many than inadequate diapers. Carry more plastic pants and resealable containers or bags to store dirty reusable diapers for reusable diapers. When the week comes to an end, access the number of diapers your baby used. This enables you to find an accurate number of diapers your baby requires daily.
Note: Storage can be a primary concern if you want to leave some supplies at the daycare center because it might have limited space or sufficient room. Therefore, ensure you inquire about what you can leave at the center. If the space is not adequate, leave a few supplies in your car to easily access them whenever you drop off your baby.
Sunscreen and medication
You must know that toddlers can quickly get unwell and require teething ointment, fever reducer, and pain relievers at the daycare. Therefore, ensure your daycare bag features medicines with a clear label of your child and appropriate dispensers. This also applies to any given medication your toddler might require to handle any chronic concerns.
Sunscreen is also necessary for your baby since they are likely to be taken out at least once or twice a day. And that is when the weather is conducive. Thus, ensure that you apply sunscreen on your toddler each morning before dropping them at the daycare. Leave sunscreen at the daycare to be reapplied when necessary. Before you leave the medication and sunscreen, ask your daycare provider about sunscreen and medication forms because you must sign these before administering medicine to your baby.
Bibs
Buy bibs specifically for daycare and ensure you include drooling small bibs if the baby is undergoing teething. Larger bibs can be used during mealtimes. If your baby is too young, please do not forget to pack burp cloths. Please place them in labeled plastic bags to make it easy to carry dirty bibs home. 4 to 5 small and large bibs are enough, but include at least a few extras in your weekly daycare bag.
Extra outfits
You must have extra clothes for your toddler and ensure they are stored in your baby’s daycare bag. Furthermore, the more toddlers grow, the more they are likely to change outfits each day, unlike the recent times. Similarly, if they are given the freedom to eat, they become messier. These outfits should be stored in a resealable plastic bag, which is used to send wet or dirty clothes home. It would help if you also packed extra underwear and socks, and some care providers might require you to bring an extra pair of sneakers. Multiple daycare centers recognize the importance of outdoor activities and allow the toddler to play at least once or twice each day. Due to temperature and weather changes, ensure your baby has an outwear bag at the daycare. And it should include a sweatshirt, jacket, mitten, and hat to avoid worrying during chillier weather.
Stuffed animal or a cuddy toy
Babies love toys, and when taking them to daycare, you should ensure you carry them their favorite toys daily. This will help your baby to sleep easily. But before carrying one, confirms the daycare center policy regarding carrying stuffed items.
Note: Place your child’s name on each item you take to the daycare. Ideally, it would be better to use a permanent marker or even consider sewing in your baby’s tag names or washable labels.
Meals and drinks
Ensure you pack sufficient labeled bottles for the day in your baby’s daily bag and an extra one if an emergency occurs. Suppose your baby takes formula, make a point of measuring it in every bottle. For powdered formula, the daycare providers will add water during feeding time. If you will be sending breast milk, it is essential to consult with the daycare on how they would want it packaged. Some usually prefer mothers to send it thawed, while some feature freezers and might require you to send it in frozen bags, which have the potential to defrost.
When your baby commences consuming cereals, it would be best if you also inquired from your care provider about how you should package it. Ideally, you can send them in full boxes with a label of your baby’s name and replenish them if necessary. On the other hand, you can send it in portions using plastic containers without lids to prevent spills. Furthermore, if your baby starts eating food regularly, consider packing labeled plastic containers that feature screw-on lids or labeled baby food jars. You also need to confirm whether you should pack a labeled spoon and bowl.
Note: most items for daycare are usually packed during the night in the daycare bag. However, prepared formula, breast milk bottles, and baby food are usually preserved in the refrigerator until morning because they must stay refrigerated. To avoid forgetting to pick them up in the morning, keep your keys in the refrigerator near the bottles or stick a reminder note on the keys.
FAQs
Toddlers usually get used to daycare. However, it might take them a day to 4 weeks, but it depends on a baby’s temperament to adjust to daycare.
Babies never feel abandoned whenever their mothers return to work because they have no idea about what revolves around them and especially work. Furthermore, taking a baby to daycare does not mean you do not love her because a mother’s love is always paramount.
Conclusion
When you keep your daycare supplies organized, you will find your life and the life of the daycare provider moving on swiftly. Ensure you provide all that your care provider requires because it is essential to your baby. And nothing makes a mother happy, like when a baby is given excellent care at daycare. Both the parents and the care provider are usually filled with joy.
