The Care and Keeping of Your Day Care Provider

Once you have found a wonderful day care provider for your baby with reflux, it is important to communicate effectively, nurture her and reward her for taking good care of your high need baby. I have listed my tips for getting off to a good start with your child care provider and hopefully starting a long term commitment to taking care of your baby.

My top tips for the care and keeping of your day care provider when your baby has reflux:

• Listen: It is important to be a good listener. When you arrive to pick up your baby, don’t rush off. Spend a few moments and really listen. Let her tell you about the day, what happened and find out her concerns.
• Let her vent: She might need to vent about the spit up or the marathon crying episode. Let her know that you understand how difficult this is and use the conversation as an opportunity to discuss strategies.
• Communicate: Be sure to communicate your expectations for her regarding medication, feeding and sleep. Don’t forget to tell her what the doctor said at the appointment and the new treatment plan. Give her the expectation that you want to know her questions and concerns.
• Nurture: Nurture her and acknowledge her work by complimenting her, saying thank you, and telling her specific examples of her wonderful work. Examples include: “I told everyone at work how wonderful you are!” or “I tried your suggestion for feeding her baby food and it worked like a charm.”
• Presents are nice: Find out a bit about your child care provider and surprise her with a present. If your baby is fussy from getting a new tooth, include a candy bar in the diaper bag with a little note. Remember her birthday and give her a paid day off when needed. If she has children of her own, offer to take care of her children so she can go out to dinner with her spouse. Give her a gift that allows her to pamper herself: restaurant gift card, manicure or massage.
• Emergency Plans: Develop a plan for illnesses and emergencies. Make sure she knows how to reach you and the doctor. Let her know that you appreciate hearing from her for any question or concern.
• Help for the Helper: In the early weeks, it might help to schedule a helper for the primary caregiver. Perhaps you can visit on your lunch hour and spend a few moments feeding your baby or rocking her to sleep. Or you could send Grandma over to visit during the afternoon fussy period or to hold the baby upright after the feeding so your child care provider can take care of the other children or take a brief break.