Create an infant questionnaire for parents to fill out before the child's first day of school. Include the necessary emergency contact and allergy information, but also ask specific questions about the baby. For example, ask how parents normally put their child to sleep or, for toddlers, their preferred method of discipline. Teachers can ask parents if their child has special words for favorite foods or toys. Be sure parents have plenty of time to fill out these questionnaires. When parents return the completed form, teachers should read through it and discuss it with parents. Teachers should ask as many questions as necessary to understand the specific needs of the child.
Create a daily communication sheet that documents the daily happenings in your classroom. A sheet for each child should include information about food intake, diapering times and any activities the child participated in during the day. Teachers should try to give parents as much information as possible about the course of their child's day. Be sure to hand these papers directly to parents at the end of the day and verbally greet them, sharing a sentence or two about their child's day.
Host a learning lunch. Choose a topic that will be of interest to parents of infants or toddlers and personally invite each parent to attend. Allow parents to bring their lunches and spend an hour or so with their babies and participate in discussions with the other parents in the class. Topics can include teething, sleeping through the night, play and development or discipline techniques. As the teacher, you will facilitate and lead the discussion and answer as many questions as you can.