Toddler Room Transition!

When we learned that it was time for Beau to transition to the toddler room, I could hardly believe it. It felt like just yesterday we were bringing our eleven-week-old son to Casa for his first day in the infant room! Over the last 14 months, the teachers in Infants A have helped him to grow and develop so well, that we knew he was ready to make the transition! I had heard from other parents that the room transitions can be challenging, so I was a little nervous about how Beau would acclimate. The teachers at Casa helped to map out a transition plan and helped to ensure things went smoothly for everyone.

Over the course of two weeks, Beau split his time between his current teachers and his new teachers in the toddler room. We would drop him off at his infant classroom, and he would spend his mornings with his current teachers. From there, he would make his way down to the toddler room, where he would enjoy free play, the playground (already his favorite), and have lunch with his soon to be classmates. He would end his day by returning to the infant room for a nap, snack time, and more activities until it was time to go home.

This slow transition helped Beau feel more comfortable with his new surroundings, the new schedule, and his new teachers and classmates. It also helped us as parents meet with his new teachers and learn a bit more of what to expect from the new activities and focus areas. His teachers also shared many photos throughout each transition day, which helped us to see just how much fun he was having in his new room!

As an added benefit, the toddler transition has also helped with Beau’s nap schedule. As first-time parents, trying to understand sleeping patterns has been a big focus area for us. We knew that the transition from two naps to just one could be a challenging process. However, Beau’s transition to the toddler room has helped this go smoothly at home. As soon as Beau dropped to one nap at school, we worked to follow the same schedule at home. It helped make what seemed like a daunting transition go more smoothly than we could have ever hoped!

Today, after dropping Beau off for his first full day in the toddler room, there were no tears at all. He met with his new teacher, found a new favorite toy (a bag of bouncy balls), and even danced a bit to get the morning started! When we came to pick him up, he didn’t want to leave! He showed us his new sitting area, a new favorite book, and danced a bit more on the way home. We are so excited to see him continue to grow and reach new milestones with his new teachers in Toddlers A!