When you pick up your child from daycare, it is important to immediately reassure them and establish your bond. This can help your child feel secure about daycare and make dropping them off in the future easier. To help establish a connection, you should consider asking the following three questions. 

Do you want a hug or kiss?  

Rushing from work or home to daycare to pick up your child, followed by errands and getting dinner ready can make pick-up as chaotic as drop-off. Taking the time to reconnect with your child physically before you get in the car or buckle them into a stroller can make the transition from daycare to home easier on both of you. But how you reconnect with your child may vary from day to day. 

Some children want immediate hugs and kisses from their parents while others may take a little time before they want to be held, hugged, or kissed. Asking your child if they want a hug or kiss reminds them that they can seek physical affection, shows them that you respect their budding bodily autonomy and models positive consensual behavior. 

Did you do [Insert Activity] today? 

Asking your toddler open-ended questions like, "What did you do today?" can leave them feeling overwhelmed by choice or frustrated by their lack of language skills. You may want to start slowly by asking questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Be sure to throw in some silly questions to keep the conversation light and fun.

As your child's language skills progress, you may find that they regularly jump into an explanation of the things they did throughout the day. Follow their lead and be sure to ask lots of questions that show interest in their life.  

Do you want a snack? 

Even if you pick your child up immediately after lunch or snack time, you may want to offer them a snack at home. Many children are distracted during daycare and do not eat as much as they do at home. This may mean that your child is still hungry when you pick them up. Offering them an immediate snack can stave off hunger and a melt-down until dinner is ready to eat. 

While you may still have a lot that needs to get done in the evening, it is important to take some quality time to reconnect with your child after you pick them up from daycare. After a conversation and a snack, a short story or a fun, cooperative game is a good idea before you get started on your evening tasks.