Toddlers are hard work. Not only are they going through a lot of emotions, but they are learning things all around them every day. If you need to put your toddler into daycare, there are a few things to look for in a provider that will help stimulate your child and help them be more ready for kindergarten. 

Reading Time

Familiarizing your child with books at home is one of the best things that you can do for them, but putting them into a toddler child care program that has an emphasis on learning is another thing that will help them with their fundamental growth. When toddlers ages 12-24 months are introduced to age-appropriate books like board books, they can start to learn about letters, shapes, and colors. Then as they get older, they can start to interact more with the books that they read, which can set them up for reading in kindergarten.

When you are looking for a toddler child care center, ask them how often they read to kids and how they read to them. For instance, do they make the kids sit down or do they allow the kids to walk around and ask questions? Because some smaller toddlers haven't quite developed the understanding of sitting for long periods of time, putting them in a more lenient environment may help them learn more while they are still young. 

Nap Time

Napping is a big part of your child's emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. Toddlers need an average of 12-14 hours of sleep at night, including a nap during the day of 1-3 hours. When you are looking for a toddler child care center, look for one that places a strong importance on nap time. Some of the ways that a child care center can provide children with a quality nap are by giving them sleep mats to sleep on, putting them in a dark room, playing a sound machine, and encouraging all kids to either be quiet or take a nap. 

Good Snacks

If your child is going to be at a child care center all day long, you want to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition they need to grow. If they have food allergies, you will obviously want to discuss them with the child care provider. But if they don't, you will still want to make sure they are being given healthy snacks like fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and foods that are low in processed sugars. 

To learn more, contact a toddler child care center.