Infant Separation Anxiety at Daycare — What to Expect the First Week | Daisy Days Guide

Dropping your baby off at daycare for the first time — and watching them cry as you leave — is one of the hardest moments of early parenthood. At Daisy Days Daycare in Regina SK, our ECE educators guide hundreds of infants and their families through this transition every year. Here’s what’s normal, what helps, and what our team does to support your baby.

Why Infants Have Separation Anxiety at Daycare

Separation distress in infants is developmentally healthy — it indicates that your baby has formed a secure attachment to you. Developmentally, object permanence (the understanding that people and things continue to exist even when not visible) emerges around 6-9 months. This is when separation anxiety typically peaks — babies now understand you’ve left, but can’t yet understand that you’ll come back.

Crying at drop-off is NOT a sign that:

• Your child doesn’t like daycare
• Your child is unhappy in the daycare environment
• Your child isn’t adjusting well
• You’ve made the wrong childcare choice

It IS a sign that:

• Your baby has a secure attachment to you — the foundation of all healthy development
• Your baby is cognitively developing normally (understanding object permanence)
• The daycare transition is happening at an age-appropriate developmental moment

What to Expect Week by Week — Infant Daycare Transition Timeline

Days 1-3: Most intense adjustment period. Crying at drop-off is very common. Babies typically settle within 10-30 minutes once engaged with the educators and environment. Some babies are curious and settle quickly; others take the full transition period.

Days 4-7: Many infants begin to show recognition of the daycare environment, educators’ faces, and daily routines. Drop-off crying may continue but often lessens in intensity or duration.

Weeks 2-3: The majority of infants have settled into the daycare rhythm. Drop-off crying becomes brief (if it continues) and the baby is typically calm within a few minutes of the parent leaving. Educators report the baby is engaged, sleeping, and feeding normally.

Week 4+: Most infants show comfort, familiarity, and even anticipation of daycare routines. Some babies still have crying at drop-off (particularly on Mondays after weekends) — this is normal and not a cause for concern.

What Daisy Days Daycare’s Educators Do During the Transition

• Gradual transition: For infant enrollments, we offer a gradual start — shorter visits that build to full days over the first 1-2 weeks, whenever family work schedules allow
• Immediate comfort: An educator receives your baby at drop-off and begins immediate comfort and engagement — the educator doesn’t wait for the baby to self-settle
• Consistent primary educator: The same educator works most consistently with your infant during the adjustment period to build a secondary attachment relationship
• Parent reassurance: You can call or text during your workday to check on your baby — our educators will respond as soon as a colleague can cover for a moment
• End-of-day report: A detailed verbal or written daily report on feeding, sleep, activities, and mood helps you feel connected to your baby’s day

Tips for Parents During the Infant Daycare Transition

• Keep drop-off brief and confident: Long, lingering goodbyes increase baby’s distress. A warm, brief goodbye with a confident tone and a clear departure works better than extended drawn-out separation scenes.
• Don’t sneak out: Always say goodbye directly — sneaking out actually increases separation anxiety over time because babies can’t trust that you’ll follow a predictable departure pattern
• Bring a comfort object: A familiar-smelling blanket or stuffed animal from home helps bridge the home-daycare emotional gap
• Leave something with your scent: Some ECE educators recommend leaving a piece of clothing with your scent near the infant’s sleep space — familiar smell provides comfort when a familiar face can’t
• Trust the call protocol: If the daycare will call you if your baby isn’t settling, trust that — checking in every 30 minutes actually increases parental anxiety more than infant distress

→ Daisy Days Daycare infant program details
→ The first week at daycare — full parent guide
→ Crying at daycare drop-off — full parent guide

Book an infant transition consultation at Daisy Days Daycare.
306-807-3233 | info@daisydaysdaycare.com | 2007 Potts Crescent East, Regina SK S4V 2E5