{"id":5562,"date":"2021-06-16T13:25:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T17:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mlparentcoach.com\/?p=5562"},"modified":"2021-06-16T13:25:45","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T17:25:45","slug":"our-baby-will-be-entering-day-care-how-should-we-prepare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mlparentcoach.com\/new\/washington-post\/our-baby-will-be-entering-day-care-how-should-we-prepare\/","title":{"rendered":"Our baby will be entering day care. How should we prepare?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Q:\u00a0<\/b>I have a son who will be 11 months old this fall, which is when our family will probably once again need full-time child care, because my husband and I expect to return to our physical workplace. Our son has a spot secured at an in-home facility that we know and love \u2014 it’s where his older sister went and it’s wonderful \u2014 but we’re still feeling worried about the prospect of an unvaccinated, unmasked baby being introduced into a communal environment, especially because mask mandates are being relaxed in our community, and the other children there also won’t be vaccinated. (And I can’t possibly know the choices or movements of all\u00a0the people those kids come in contact with.) Do you have any thoughts or guidance on how we should approach this or on what questions we should ask his\u00a0caregivers as we prepare for this return?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

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A:\u00a0<\/b>Thanks for writing in. I have nothing but empathy for parents of babies facing these hard decisions. There are many factors to consider, so let\u2019s take a look at how to best approach this transition with your baby.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin by acknowledging that hospitals, researchers, doctors and everyday people have come together in an unprecedented way to learn about and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus for the short time it has been in our lives. And although data is emerging daily, there is still much we don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

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When it comes to children and the coronavirus, according to the\u00a0most recent data report<\/a>\u00a0from the American Academy of Pediatrics, children represent 14.1\u00a0percent of total virus cases in the United States. They make up about 1.4\u00a0percent to 3.2\u00a0percent of the total reported hospitalizations; between 0.1\u00a0percent to 1.9\u00a0percent of all child covid-19 cases resulted in hospitalization. According to the report: \u201cAt this time, it still appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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No matter how rare among children it may be, kids are still affected, and they\u2019re still getting sick. And so it all feels scary, doesn\u2019t it? Before you panic, let\u2019s look at an important statistic again: Children make up about 1.4 percent to 3.2 percent of the total reported coronavirus hospitalizations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Any child who gets sick, seriously sick and\/or dies is one too many, but the numbers are unquestionably on the low-risk side. Additionally, more and more people are getting vaccinated by the day, making it safer for every child to live more\u00a0normally. When it comes to the in-home facility, be sure it\u2019s following\u00a0current Centers for\u00a0Disease Control and Prevention protocols<\/a>, and don\u2019t be afraid to ask all of your questions.<\/p>\n

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The pandemic has also turned into a mental health crisis for so many people, and\u00a0Ann-Louise Lockhart<\/a>, a pediatric psychologist and parent coach, recommends that you \u201cconsider the social-emotional piece, especially if this is the first time your child will be away from you. This might look like having your child go to child care for a couple of hours, then half-day, and then full day to get used to their new environment (and for you to adjust, too).\u201d<\/p>\n

[sc name=”Button Conflict to Cooperation Right”]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Easing into this transition, allowing faces and places to become more familiar and giving yourself some grace will go a long way when it comes to this change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Remember: You have spent all your time with your child while in a pandemic, so your mental health needs care and attention as you reenter the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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You may experience a range of emotions (freedom, fear, etc.), so please get your support system in place. Your pediatrician, your own doctor, your friends, family, a good therapist \u2014 all of these people can support you in this new phase of your parenting life.<\/p>\n

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Good luck.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Find this over on The Washington Post.<\/a><\/div>\n
Looking for more parenting support? Click here.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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