If you are taking parental leave when your new baby is born, you may wonder exactly what you should do with your older child who is already attending preschool. Should you keep them at home as well or leave them in their program? If they do stay home, what will you need to know about sending them back to preschool? Below are a few tips for helping your older child maintain their preschool routine when a younger sibling joins your family. 

Consider Not Taking Your Child Out of Preschool 

You may feel guilty for spending time with your newborn and not keeping your preschooler home while you do not have to work. However, your parental leave is a time for you to recover from birth, bond with your baby, and make sure that your baby gets a healthy start in life. For these reasons, it may be a good idea to leave your older kid in preschool throughout your parental leave. Additionally, keeping your child's routine constant adds stability and predictability to their life while many things may be changing at home. 

Send Your Child Back to Preschool Before Your Parental Leave Is Over 

If you do decide to keep your older child out of preschool when the new baby is born, consider sending the older child back to preschool before your parental leave is over. This will help ensure that they do not lose their place at the preschool and will allow you to concentrate on helping them smoothly transition back to preschool. For example, you may have to spend more time with your child during drop-off, and you may want to pick them up from preschool early their first few days back. 

Have Someone Else Watch the Baby While You Drop Off Your Older Child

Your older child may resent the time you spend with the new baby, and they may be jealous that they have to go to preschool while the baby gets to stay at home with you. To help curb feelings of jealousy, try to get someone else to watch the baby while you take your older child to preschool or when you pick them up. This will give you a bit of personal time with your older child each day and may make the separation at school easier for them to handle. 

Create a Show-and-Tell Book Your Child Can Share with Their Class 

Your preschooler may be excited to share updates about their sibling with their friends and teachers. However, they may not have the vocabulary to do so. Consider creating a little photo album or board book that your preschooler can take to school with them in order to help them talk about their sibling. Being able to share their feelings about their sibling in multiple venues may help prevent jealousy and allow your child to engage more thoroughly while they are at preschool. 

Create a Plan for Dealing with Preschool Germs 

It is common for preschoolers to share germs while they are at school, and you may be worried about your older child bringing home the cold or flu and infecting your younger child. Make sure that the preschool staff knows you have a new baby at home so they can be hyper-diligent about hygiene while your child is at school. Additionally, make sure that your child practices good hygiene at home, such as by washing their hands and avoiding touching the baby's face or breathing on them. Finally, make sure your older child is up to date with their vaccines. Many vaccines can be delivered over a long age range, such as when your child is four to six years old. If your child is on the younger side of this range, ask their pediatrician if you can get the boosters before your baby is born. 

Sending your child back to preschool after a new baby is born can be somewhat difficult. However, with proper planning, you will find that sticking closely to your child's current routine and giving them plenty of attention will make the transition easier. For more ideas on helping your child transition, talk to a childcare professional, such as one at Sammamish Montessori School.