How to... Help your child adapt to your returning to work

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Not having you around all day every day is a big change for a little one. Do all you

can to ease the transition

From How To Do Just About Everything in the Office, in association with eHow (Collins, £9.99)

Steps

Give your child time to adapt. He will almost certainly protest if he is suddenly left

with someone new. Spend time with your child and their new carer before leaving your child

alone with the carer. Then leave the child and carer together for progressively longer. If

the childcare is in a new place - the carer's home or a nursery - your child may take

longer to get used to it.

Be calm, confident and positive at all times. These attitudes communicate themselves

to your child and may help to calm him.

Take important toys or blankets along to the carer to ensure some continuity. Explain

your child's routines, sleep times and mealtimes carefully so that the carer can keep to

them as much as possible.

Avoid obviously temporary arrangements. If your child is happy with an arrangement,

think twice about changing it. If you do need to change childcare, go through the whole

process again - do not assume that your child will automatically adapt to new surroundings

and people.

Tips

Give yourself time to adapt, too. Initial separation from your child can be hard to deal

with; ensure the carer is happy to provide progress reports and will phone you if there

are any problems.
Put your child first. If he seems happy and thriving with the carer, that's the main

thing. Even if a nanny or au pair doesn't do all you would wish in the way of housework,

stick with him or her if your child is happy.

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