Daycare Must Haves

For many moms, there comes a big transition after maternity leave and that includes finding care for your little one as you go back to work! It can be emotional, exciting, expensive, daunting…and all the things! 

Something that was helpful for me was focusing on the things I needed in order to make the transition as successful as possible (or at least FEEL that way):

Let’s break down the must-haves for both infant and toddler daycare supplies:

Daycare Essentials for Infants:

1. Spare Diapers: Pack extra diapers to ensure your baby stays comfortable throughout the week.I put these Hello Bello diapers on auto order and once a box comes in, I keep half and bring half to daycare. I love their patterns and that they are free from parabens and phthalates.
   
2. Baby Skin Care Items: Keep your preferred baby skin care products handy for smooth diaper changes.Make sure to label your diaper cream! This one is a miracle worker: Weleda - hands down my fav and I have tried A LOT, especially since my kids have eczema.
3. Wipes: Have extra wipes available in case the daycare facility doesn’t supply them. Again with "my kids have sensitive skin" thing... I choose the GOAT: water wipes
4. Crib Bedding: Consider sending your baby’s favorite crib sheet for naptime comfort. We have these fleece ones that my kids love to cuddle. I find that jersey ones are good for warmer weather. 
5. Sleep Sack (Wearable Blanket): If your baby uses a wearable blanket or swaddle, pack a daycare-specific one. Having a sleep sack helped my little one be able to nap at daycare. Here are the ones I like: Fleece Sleep Sacks

Daycare Essentials for Toddlers (or Woddlers):

1. Snack Box or Snackle Box: These Bento boxes are just the cutest; perfect for outside of daycare too! 
2. Reusable Snack Bags: Great patterns and easily washable; this are always in my diaper bag (for mama or baby use) Bumkins Snack Bags
3. Shoes: Yes, strange thing to have on the list, but once your kid graduates to the 1 year old room, often called the "Woddlers" or "First Steps" room, they are required to wear shoes. I love the brand "See Kai Run" and Shannon loves shoes that are more fashionable like Vans or Adidas LOL. "Sock shoes" have made a recent appearance on the scene and they look very promising with low profile to help make walking easier. 
4. Reusable Labels: You must label EVERYTHING. Clothing, bottles, snacks, diapers, wipes, etc. I got some cute custom labels off of Etsy with my kid's name on them. They have been especially helpful for the bottles, I just clean the label before I wash and sanitize the bottles. 

We hope this list helps as you get ready for this big transition. 
Happy daycare days! 🌟