You drag your cranky toddler into child care and hurriedly hand him off to the nearest warm body because you’re already late for a meeting. Eight hours later, you’re struggling to get your hungry, nap-refusing little one in the car and home without a meltdown so you can conjure up something for dinner.

Sound familiar?

Transitions can be stressful for even the most organized parent—and good-natured child—but there are strategies to make child-care drop-offs and pickups easier.

Successful transitions start early, so give yourself five minutes of quiet before you wake up your child or start your day. If mornings have you feeling like a drill sergeant spouting an endless stream of do’s and don’ts, make a chart with pictures showing what should happen. Instead of nagging your child, point to the chart. Another tip: Put happy, sad, relaxed and tense faces on the refrigerator. Have your child point to how he feels in the morning. Then point to how you feel. Use the information to guide your actions (do I give a hug or just be quiet?) and help you avoid conflict.

Getting out the door on time can be one of the biggest challenges. Kids don't have the same sense of time that adults do—five minutes can seem like nothing or an eternity. Give your child something concrete to measure the time: "After this song is over, you need to put on your shoes," or, "When the timer goes off, you need to get your backpack."

Once you get to your child-care destination, these tips can help make the transition easier:

• Leave your child with the same caregiver every day, if possible (at least in the beginning).
• Tell your caregiver about anything happening at home that is important to your child.
• Don’t sneak off. Have a goodbye ritual so your child knows you are leaving. Tell your child when you will be back (for example, after nap time and group play).
• Keep your time at the child-care program short. A child who knows you are going to leave can't begin to relax until you really do leave. (Trust that your child care provider will help your child settle down once you leave.)
• Leave a picture, a scarf with your scent or some other "lovey" in your child's cubby so your child will have it when he or she needs reassurance.

Transitioning from child care to home can be equally stressful. Take time to relax before you pick up your child—a few minutes of deep breathing and calming music in the car can help put you in a better frame of mind. Try to arrive about the same time every day (children seem to have an internal alarm clock and know when to expect you).

Find out from your caregiver what happened during your child's day so you know what to expect. Have a simple snack ready for the ride home, and plan to have time with your child as soon as you get home. Some children will need 100 percent of your attention when you get home; others will need to have time away from people after being “surrounded” all day. While you fix dinner, let your child help or do some other relaxing activity. He can unwind with some reading, playing with play-dough, coloring, snuggling into a beanbag chair with a toy or listening to music. Continue the routine every day and he'll be settled into the schedule in no time.

For more parenting tips, early education resources and child care information, visit www.childcareaware.org.