Caterpillar Room

Just a few things we would like you to do for us BEFORE you come to MDO:

1. Please label ALL of your child’s belongings. This includes bottles, cups, spoons, pacifiers, lunch containers, blankets, and anything you would not want to lose.
2. Please bring as much finger food as possible for your youngster’s lunch. We know that many of your children are still eating baby food, and we are happy to feed them at lunch, but for those of you who have entered into the world of finger food, we would really appreciate it. This makes lunchtime much happier for all of us.
3. If your child has a special toy, blanket or pacifier, please bring it so that they will feel more at home. We have many toys, but a familiar one is sometimes best.
4. We will have available to all parents sheets to fill out to give us a little bit of an idea of your child’s morning routine. This will take some of the guess work out of our job. We can’t promise that naps and feedings will occur at exact times, but we can do our best to be in the right ballpark for what your child is used to.

What do I need to bring to class?

• LABELED lunch
• LABELED diapers
• LABELED cups or bottles
• LABELED favorite blanket, toy, “soothing item”
• *No need to bring a bib; we have these for the program.

What can I do to help things go smoothly on the first day, as well as the remainder of the year?

1. Before entering the classroom, please wash your child’s hands in the bathrooms. Your cooperation in helping to prevent the spread of germs is greatly appreciated!
2. Put your child’s coat and backpack on their labeled spot by the floor.
3. Please put your child’s LABELED diaper, LABELED lunch and LABELED bottle (or sippy cups) on the counter. Please make sure that all containers (including lids) and all bottles are LABELED. This is important so that we do not get your child’s belongings mixed up with another child’s. Your help is greatly appreciated.
4. This one is tough but important, especially in the first few weeks! Once your child is in the room, we ask that you please not linger to be sure your child is going to be OK. For some (most) there will be tears (and that’s ok considering you have just spent the whole summer with your child). Please be assured that we will make sure your child is loved and helped through this transition. If you walk out feeling concerned, hang around outside the door (around the corner out of sight of your child) for a minute, and “sneak a peek” in a few minutes; generally, a child is easier to calm when the parent is not able to be seen.